


Naga, Save Me.

by kidspawn02



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: AND WITCHCRAFT, Dragons, Mind Control, Morgan has some issues, Multi, after the war, kamui is a little shit, leo and takumi are rly gay for each other, lucina is done with everyone's bullshit, tbh i don't know what happened but it has a plot now so let's go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-07-13 21:24:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7137824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kidspawn02/pseuds/kidspawn02
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kamui grabbed one of his chopsticks, brandishing it and imagining it was her Yato. “Repent, and confess.”<br/>“You know that those essentially mean the same thing, right?” Ryoma chuckled, pushing the tool away and looking very amused. “Besides, I don’t know what I should be confessing to.”<br/>Kamui scowled, setting the chopstick down and staring up at the ceiling. “Naga, doth thou hateth me? Cursing me with this stupidity of his blood?”<br/>“You’re not allowed to read poetry anymore.” Ryoma smiled, eyes full of affection for the younger girl.<br/>“Shut it, I’m praying.” Kamui growled, staring at the wooden ceiling. “Naga, will thou remove thy deception? Lend me thy strength to beat my brother’s butt into thou plentiful Hoshidian soil? Through the blood of my winged ancestors, please lendeth thy power to boil the lobster lord.”<br/>“Kamui, please-”<br/>“Sh! Have some respect!” Kamui shushed, scowling at the king. “I’m beseeching my ancestors.”<br/>“Oh dear gods.” Ryoma groaned.<br/>____________________</p>
<p>In which Kamui is injured and put on bedrest, Leo and Takumi have some wacky romance going on, Sakura just wants people to listen, and Ryoma is trying to actually get stuff done.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**“Milady, look out!”**

**“Ah, big sister!”**

**“Kamui, don’t you dare!”**

 

Kamui awoke in a cold sweat, her heart pounding. 

Her body felt overheated, and when she made a move to sit up, she gasped and fell back down - her body was aching, and the smallest movement seemed to strain her more than she could bear.

As much as she wanted to lay down and rest, she had no idea where she was, and from what she could tell, she had no armour - she could have been kidnapped by an enemy force, and was soon to be executed.

Gripping her fists, she began to push herself up. Her mind screamed in protest, but she continued to sit up... dear gods, why was she doing this?

Finally, she got herself onto her feet... then crumpled to the floor. 

“Ah!” She cried out when her nose met the floor with a force she didn’t know was possible. 

“Milady, please don’t do that!” A familiar shaky voice cried out, running into the room. 

Kamui turned her head to stare up blearily at Felicia. In the back of her mind, she registered how  _ clean  _ she looked, and began to doubt her assumptions.

However, the only thing she was able to do was register how nice the room actually was, before she blacked out.

 

The second time she awoke, it was to a damp cloth being pressed to her forehead.

Felicia hovered over her, biting her lip. Kamui’s observations earlier were correct - her hair was brushed, washed, and pinned back in a very nice twist, and her usual maid’s uniform had been replaced with a - 

“Is that a kimono?” Kamui croaked out. 

Felicia screeched, falling backwards into the wall. “Oh, Lady Kamui, you’re okay!”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” Kamui frowned. “But why are you in a kimono?”

“It was the only thing we had.” A softer voice said.

“Sakura!” Kamui breathed out, smiling as her birth sister entered the room. “Why are-”

“Don’t sit up like that!” Sakura suddenly cried, running forward and pressing Kamui back into the pillows. Kamui was surprised by the strength of the push - either Sakura was much, much stronger than her very small stature had led Kamui to believe, or Kamui was much weaker than usual. “You really hurt yourself - I’m actually surprised you’re awake as early as you are.”

“How long have I been asleep?” Kamui croaked again.

“Almost four days.” Sakura murmured, before prodding Kamui’s underclothes. “I need to check your bandages, is that okay?”

“Oh, y-yes of course.” Kamui felt panic flood through her veins. “Wait, four days?”

Sakura nodded, lifting the shirt on Kamui’s stomach. She hadn’t noticed there had been bandages before, but now she felt foolish for not seeing that earlier. 

“I know it sounds like a lot, but normally people hurt as bad as you were should rest for at least eight days.”

Kamui grimaced when the bandages were pulled away. She gasped when she saw the ugly, swollen gash on her pale torso. “What happened?”

Felicia approached shakily. “That thief took your dragonstone, and when you tried to transform...”

Kamui shivered. The last time she had transformed without the precious gem, she had almost killed both herself and Azura-

“Wait, where’s Azura? Is she okay?” 

Sakura, who had been spreading a salve onto her wound, froze. “Um...”

Kamui’s eyes narrowed. “Felicia, you were there, what happened to Azura?”

Felicia stiffened, and ducked her head down.  _ She’s crying...  _ Kamui thought, now scared. 

“Sh-she was taken by Ylissean soldiers.” Felicia threw her hands over her mouth, sobbing. “I’m so sorry!” 

“It’s not your fault at all!” Kamui gasped, not wanting to see anyone in this amount of distress. “I’m sure we’ll be going to get her soon!”

Sakura frowned, pausing for too long as she wound bandages around Kamui. 

“Sakura? We’re going to get her, right?”

Sakura tensed up, her hazel eyes suddenly looking more moist than before. “Kamui, about that...”

Kamui frowned. “Sakura, what’s wrong?”

Sakura began withdrawing into herself. “Xander said... he said that...”

“What did he say?” Kamui suddenly shouted, standing up, a familiar emotion racing through her veins.

_ Fear. _

“T-that the risk was too great, and that it wasn’t a smart strategy...” 

_ Rage. _

Sakura looked up, tears streaming down her face.

_ Regret. _

“Oh, Sakura, I’m so sorry...” Kamui frowned, pulling her sister into a soft embrace. Her sister smelled sweet, just like the flower from which she was named.

_ Love. _

“I just... I guess Xander and I need to talk for a little.” She wasn’t very surprised - she loved her brother, but he tended to go for what would logically assist his kingdom, as opposed to thinking of how other people may feel. (Though that may have been why he was such a good king, he put his people’s needs over his own.)

_ Understanding. _

“Actually, big sister, it wasn’t Xander who did it.” Sakura frowned, pulling away. 

“Really?” Kamui furrowed her brows. “Then, who...”

“Ryoma.”

_ Confusion. _

_ And then, another emotion, one so unfamiliar to her... _

_ Betrayal. _

 

Sakura and Felicia left, leaving Kamui to boil in her mess of emotions.

She was informed by maid that she would be resting for the next two days, and was not allowed to leave the room she had been put in.

 She had no right to complain - the room was lovely. The bed was big, with a fluffed up mattress, and was easily two foot off the ground. The headboard was made of a very fine wood, and had been intricately carved - no doubt that it took several skilled hands to create it - to look like a dragon. Her legs were covered in a fine silk blanket, which was a fiery red covered in spiralling golden embroidery.  (Also like a dragon.) A small platform was built underneath the bed, lifting it even higher. By the foot, there was a tray with tea and a bowl of miso soup, along with the medication Sakura had prescribed. (A lifesaver, as Kamui occasionally had excruciating abdominal pain.) The walls were covered in gorgeous murals, obviously meant to balance out the room. Normally, she would be constantly worried about someone entering to see her in this state, but the platform lifted her high up, along with a rich red curtain obstructing the view from the doorway, which was a screen and shoved to the corner of the room. Nobody could see her from that angle. 

However, she was bored.

Kamui was no stranger to isolation (growing up locked in the tower of a cold, dark, silent kingdom certainly allied you to that particular feeling.) but this was different. One of the maids had informed her that all of her siblings were either in a similar state to her, or just too busy to come visit, so she had no one to talk to. 

Hoshido did not have the incredible library that Nohr was blessed with (it may have been depressing on the surface, but Nohr had created the greatest minds of all time.), and the scrolls that had been offered as reading material were all written in the native language - Kamui spoke the damn thing well enough, but she was raised speaking common, and had never been able to adapt to the complicated scripture of Hoshido. 

She would have preferred to do something with her hands - her favourite was cleaning the stable with Hinoka, or practicing archery with Takumi. Alas, that required a physical exertion that Sakura was apparently 100%  _ against.  _

(Personally, she didn’t see how maybe walking around a little was bad for her - it wasn’t like she was going to practice her swordsmanship.)

But, oh, how she would have loved to grip her Yato again - the sword had become a constant weight on her belt, and though she hated to fight, Yato was a symbol of peace. It reminded her what she stood for, and those who sacrificed their lives to assist in her cause.

In fact, she had been pestering the maid who brought her food so much that she now  _ glared  _ whenever Kamui said anything. 

She just wanted company, or a good book, or to see her siblings... or a  _ bath.  _ Oh gods, a bath would be  _ perfection  _ right now.

One day, all of that was fixed. Not all at once, because the person who came to visit really should never  _ see _ her bathing, never mind  _ help _ her with it. (Seeing as how she was willing to admit she was too weak to bath herself correctly right now.) Gods, she needed it so badly that she had begun  _ fantasizing  _ about warm water and wash rags... and soap.

“Lady Kamui, you have a visitor. Are you decent?” The maid called from the doorway. 

Kamui was so excited that she didn’t even bother to check - the idea of having someone to discuss this all with was so appealing to her, everything else was thrown out the window. Besides, maybe they had food.

(That’s right, she had her priorities straight.)

“Of course, let them in!” She sat up straighter, running a bandaged hand through her greasy hair. (Upon closer inspection, 85% of her body was covered in bandages and battle wounds.)

She heard soft footsteps, before the curtain on her left was shoved open.

“Leo!” She cried out, forgetting her injuries as she threw herself over at him, wrapping her arms around her little brother.

He let out a gasp of pain as soon as she made contact. “Ah! Sister, please, Camilla would be horrified if you hurt yourself even more from excitement.”

Kamui giggled, sitting back down. Her happiness turned to worry when she saw the sling holding his arm up. “Oh no, I hit you, didn’t I? I’m so sorry.” 

“That’s alright - I hardly expected you to notice in your state.” He sat down on a cushioned stool, giving an amused smirk. “I can’t imagine being locked in a room alone like this for so long. You don’t even have any books to read, do you?”

Kamui laughed - Leo had always read with her when they were growing up together, and she had expecting him to understand better than anyone. (Except, perhaps, Takumi. But he was very similar to Leo anyway.)

“You know me way too well.” She smiled endearingly at him. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you knew all of the things that get me fired up lately.”

“Well, part of it is knowing you pretty well,” He sat back, wincing when the bag around his shoulders rubbed against his injured arm. “And the other half is us having the same maid attending to the three of us.”

“Three of us?” Kamui echoed.

“You, me...” He paused, before adding, “Takumi” in a softer voice.

“Is Takumi okay?” Kamui frowned, (both from worry and Leo’s change of voice.)

“Yes, he’s in very good condition. He only has some moderate wounds, nothing to worry about. He’s an archer, after all, so he and Hinoka we outside the building when it collapsed.”

_ When  _ I  _ made it collapse.  _ Kamui added in her own head. 

Leo’s smirk softened, his eyes picking up on her sudden demure attitude. “It’s not your fault. That thief took your dragonstone before you realized it was gone.”

Kamui let out a weak little laugh. “I suppose it would be easier to pin it on that, but I usually notice when it goes missing - I should have felt its absence, or just used Yato instead.”

“Speaking of Yato, Xander found it when he and Elise went to search the ruins.” Leo patted her shoulder with his good arm. “I had heard from Sakura that you were missing it recently.”

“Have you been talking to Sakura?” She hadn’t been aware that the two even remotely got along - she had assumed that the only members from her two families who talked were the ‘counterparts’ (as Kaden called them).

“A bit. She’s the best healer here, mainly because Elise is unable to stay back in Hoshido and tend to wounds.” He grimaced. “She and Xander are trying to find out where Ylisse’s base here in our land is.”

“Ah.” Kamui sighed. “Well, thank you for telling me all this. I wasn’t even sure all of our - sorry, ours, and mine - siblings were okay. I’m assuming Hinoka and Camilla are fine.”

“They’re okay. Hinoka just had a minor head wound, and recovered fast enough. Camilla was a bit more serious, as she was shot by an arrow before she could evacuate the building, but she’s walking and almost completely back to normal.” Leo held up his bag. Kamui suddenly realized he was wearing a kimono - she rarely saw him out of his armour, and he was worryingly thin without the bulk it added to his image. The kimono was tied tight around his waist, which must have been smaller than her own. No wonder Xander worried so much.  

It suited him, she decided. The dark blue made his pale skin - usually seeming ghostly, or unhealthy - seem refined and elegant (Though that may have been the Hoshidion air). His headband was also missing, making his bangs fall into his eyes. 

He threw the bag into her lap. “I brought you something - I would open it myself, but as you can tell, I am incapable of doing so.”

Kamui smiled, opening the cloth bag. She pulled out a beautiful leather bound book - a black binding, with elegant, curved lettering in a language she barely remembered.

“You said that you missed reading in Italian, and I had this book right here.” He nodded at the cover. “It was originally written in common, but Xander bought the Italian version for the two of us to read together.”

She squinted at the cover - this shouldn’t be hard, she had been raised speaking it, so...

“Alice In Wonderland?” She frowned. She vaguely remembered this book...

“It’s a collection of the author’s work - the original story, his poetry, and Through the Looking Glass.” He smiled, “If you want, we could re-read it together.”

“I would love that!” She cooed, wrapping her arms around him again. “You’re the best little brother a girl could ask for! You precious little baby! You gave this to me so we could bond over it together, didn’t you? So sweet!”

He scowled. “You sound like Camilla. And I’m seventeen - you’re only two years older, don’t call me a baby!” 

“Sorry, Leo.” Kamui winced, clutching the book in her hands. 

“Well, I have to go.” He gave a familiar smirk, walking towards the door. Before he left, however, he paused. “By the way, dear sister,” He turned his head back, amusement in his voice. “I arranged for you to get a bath.”

Then he left.

 

Oh, baths were a thing of heaven.

She submerged herself in the warm water, sighing contently at the soothing feeling spreading throughout her aching body.

Felicia had only stuck around long enough to unwrap her bandages and help wash Kamui’s back, before she realized she had forgotten the towel and change of clothes, and had rushed out of the room.

Kamui settled into a built-in bench, rinsing the soap from her hair. She felt ten times better already - proving, yet again, how magical baths could be.

Pulling herself up slightly, she grabbed the washcloth and began scrubbing her legs viciously. In Nohr, which was certainly more focused on physical appearance than Hoshido, it was considered customary to regularly remove the hair from your body. (More focused towards the woman.) Kamui didn’t have as much hair on her body as the average woman in Nohr (Hoshidion women were small, with slight chests, and very little hair.), so it wasn’t done as frequently as, say, Camilla did it. She did miss the feeling of smooth legs, though. After the war, she had allowed herself room for more vanity. (According to her older brothers on both sides, she was too young to deprive herself of those simple pleasures.) It had been more appealing to have soft, sensitive legs when you were wearing soft, silk robes, as opposed to the rough battle armour she favoured. 

Something flashed in the mirror. 

Kamui frowned, dropping the washcloth. Had that been...

She pulled herself out of the water, approaching the reflective surface.

Something flashed again, spiraling in the thick smoke, curling against the edges of the room.

She took a couple of steps, and felt a chill run through her body - then a horrible feeling surrounded her, as if she was being overcome by helplessness. Like there was no happiness left for her to cherish...

“Lady Kamui, I’m back with the -”

Kamui screamed, slipping on the wet tile and falling back into the pool.

At least she could depend on her grace.

 

When Felicia was done apologizing, (“I’m so sorry, Lady Kamui, please don’t get angry! Are you hurt? I could get Sakura! Really, I am so sorry about that....) she toweled Kamui off - ignoring her protests because ‘you could hurt yourself even more!’ - and wrapped her up in her old friends, the bandages. Kamui was expecting to be brought back to her bed for two more days of hell (after all, Sakura had been planning for eight days), but was instead brought to a closet.

“Um, Felicia? What are we doing here?” Kamui winced when she bumped into the door frame.

When the pink-haired woman didn’t reply, Kamui whipped her head around. “Felicia! FELICIA!”

She felt panic in her throat. Where could she have gone? She walked further into the dusty closet, rounding a corner (why was a closet so big anyway?), before coming to a full stop.

“Wow.”

Here Kamui was, surrounding by the most beautiful fabric designs she had ever seen - long, silky clothes hung on racks, fabric waiting to be sewn and embroidered lay on  a simply carved table, and in the middle was a gorgeous blue kimono with black accents, and decorated with beautiful white flower designs.  

“Do you like them?” 

_ Man, there are a lot of familiar voices recently...  _ Kamui turned around. 

“Oboro!” She cried out, embracing the blue-haired girl. 

She hugged back, though her arms felt very hesitant - as if she was worried about hurting her. “Aw, Kamui, I missed you.”

When Kamui had been experimenting with her own personal style, Oboro had been the one to step up to the task - though at the time, it had been under the guise of Takumi’s orders. (A lie, from what Kamui could tell, but whatever.) It had been nice, she remembered, to sit down and talk to someone who wasn’t her family - some good old-fashioned girl talk.

After a few minutes, Kamui had to step back, just to get a good look. Oboro had been one of the youngest soldiers in the army - at the tender young age of sixteen, she had been an experienced spear fighter who had seen more bloodshed than even Kamui. (Who had just turned eighteen at the time.) Kamui wasn’t completely sure how the rest of her backstory worked - just that she had been orphaned by Nohrian assassins, before eventually finding herself in the service of Takumi.

Either way, Oboro had always been a thing of normalcy in her life, as well as proof that many people had it worse than herself, but were definitely dealing with it a whole lot better.

(Though she wasn’t sure if she considered Oboro’s ‘demon face’ as a healthy way of dealing with her previous prejudice against Nohrians....)

“Not that I’m not thrilled to see you, but why am I in here?” Kamui frowned, tipping her head. “And where did Felicia go?”

Oboro shrugged. “Felicia said she had to go make you some tea.”

Kamui winced. “That’ll end great...” She muttered to herself.

“Ryoma wanted to talk to you today, and apparently  _ someone  _ didn’t take a bath for several days, and now all her clothes are ruined...”

Kamui scowled. “Look, I wanted to take a bath so bad, they’re pretty amazing. I mean, I’ve been bathing in Nohr for about six months. It’s nice, and they have great soaps, but Hoshido does it  _ way  _ better.”

And just like that, Kamui lost herself in talking to Oboro - and it was so relaxing. Talking to Leo had been lovely, but she always had to stay on her toes to make sure he didn’t outsmart her. (He always did no matter how hard she tried, though.) Oboro was just... simple to chat with.

“There is a reason you’re here today, though.” Oboro said, grinning. “I want you to try on my kimono when you go meet up with Ryoma today. I tailored it in your size, even.”

“Well...” Kamui frowned. “I can’t exactly say no, can I?”

“No, you get no choice.” Oboro began pulling the outfit down. “I’m willing to do your hair too - though hair isn’t really my thing. Maybe Felicia can do it, though.”

“I’ll be fine.” Kamui smiled, running her fingers on the soft fabric. “This is really beautiful. I somehow both can and cannot believe that you made this.”

“Thanks, I guess.” She wrapped her hand around Kamui’s wrist, dragging her to one of the corners. “Now, put that beauty on.”

 

Kamui made her way down the hall slowly, with Felicia hovering nervously by in case she collapsed again. 

Her feet slid soundlessly on the wooden floors,  chilled from the cold weather. Her legs were no warmer - kimonos were fairly breezy, and the wind got right up under the garment. While her legs may not have be shaven, the silk still felt heavenly against them - better than any other kimono she had ever worn. (She had made a mental note to tell Oboro how talented she was, just in case the girl didn’t know.)

“This should be it.” Felicia said, stopping in front of a gorgeous screen door. Even if Felicia hadn’t told her this was the door to Ryoma’s room, she would have been able to guess for - the paper on the screen was decorated almost too excessively for a simple door. (Though it definitely could not be called simple anymore.) Instead of the traditional sakura blossoms that covered most doors, Ryoma’s was decorated with a spiraling green and red dragon. If it was up to Kamui, she would have asked for a lobster, as Ryoma’s bright red, shell-like armour reminded her of one of those crustacean creatures. However, it was easily the nicest thing in the palace (which was saying a lot, as Hoshido was a prosperous nation) and even the wood paneling for the door was embedded with gold flakes. 

Flattening a hand on her hair, Kamui called out through the door. “Big brother?”

“Kamui, is that you?” Ryoma’s deep voice rumbled from the other side. She felt a rush of happiness. It had been far too long since she had seen her older brother. 

“Yes, of course,” She laughed. “Who else would it be?”

The wooden screen was pushed aside, and Kamui stepped inside.

If she thought the door was impressive, it was nothing compared to the room inside. In the center was a big table, with maroon cushions around so others could sit comfortably. Said table was set with teas and sweets, obviously set up with care. From what she knew, it was customary for the ruler of a kingdom to have a meeting place in their own room, as well as their palace. The rest of the main room was simple - there was a cabinet in the corner, with a plaque on it. (With a painful twinge, she realized it said ‘Queen Mikoto’ in graceful lettering.) Photos of her Hoshido siblings littered the rest of it, making her smile. Through an entryway, she saw a bed similar to the one she had been sleeping in, and a tall stand with his armour and swords. Everything had a very simple and light feel, even though every piece of furniture was intricately carved. (She made another mental note to ask where all of the beautiful furniture had been made, as her room in the Invisible Kingdom needed some updating.)

“Sister!” Ryoma smiled, embracing her tightly. Despite how warm and comforting his hug was, she couldn’t help but wince. Thankfully, he was wearing a very simple garment, much like the one Kamui herself was adorned in. As soon as she let out a gasp of pain, he stepped back, worry furrowing his brow. “Felicia informed me you were completely healed. Was that not true?”

“That’s what I told her.” Kamui smiled. 

Ryoma laughed. “While it may be easier on you to do that, please keep in mind that you are not useful to anyone in a state of constant pain. Not as a princess of Hoshido, Nohr, or as my sister.”

“Actually, I would like to talk to you.” Kamui frowned. She felt the same emotion as earlier - that bitter taste filling her mouth.

“I would to have some discussion with you, but first, I have someone you may want to see...” He nodded to behind Kamui. She turned around.

_ Oh, but it was so nice seeing familiar faces! _

“Jakob!” She laughed, walking over and hugging the young man. Unlike her other friends, he was not wearing traditional Hoshidion clothes, (to be honest, those clothes would not fit the man at all) and had on his usual simple vest, long-sleeved shirt, and a simple pair of pants. His hair was tied in its usual medium ponytail, with his usual silver dagger sitting polished on his belt. “You’re okay!”

“Well, of course I am, milady.” He smiled gently. “I can hardly be taken down by a simple building collapse.” 

“Yes, but, it was  _ my  _ fault, so if anything happened-” 

“But nothing did happen, now did it?” He gave another smile, and Kamui embraced him again. She had not seen these people in months, and it was likely that when she was fully recovered - and apologies were personally given to the family members of those who died - she would be heading back to the Invisible Kingdom. 

“Now that you can confirm my sister is alright, Jakob, would you please leave the room so that the two of us can discuss some important topics?” Ryoma said. His expression went from soft-hearted to annoyed as he made eye contact with the Butler.

“Actually, now that I am back at her side, I’m very reluctant to leave again.” Jakob gave a smile, and Kamui failed to notice the threatening glint in his eye, or how his finger fluttered over the dagger at his side.

Ah, the gift of innocence.

Ryoma and Jakob continued to glare at each other - Kamui stepped back from Jakob, watching the two. “Um, why not let him stay, brother?”

A couple of beats passed, before Ryoma nodded stubbornly. The three made their way to the table in the centre of the room. Kamui folded her legs underneath her  as best she could - she had never been instructed in proper Hoshido etiquette before, so hopefully she was doing this right. 

“Lady Kamui, you do look lovely in that kimono.” Jakob complimented smoothly. “Would you like some tea?”

“I can take care of that.” Kamui said, turning towards her brother. “I needed to speak with you about something, brother.)

“Well, I’m here, so go ahead.” Ryoma calmly stated. 

“Well, um...” Kamui avoided the gaze of all those in the room. “I heard you were not willing to go rescue Azura from the Ylisseans.”

To her left, Jakob’s gaze hardened. Much like Kamui, he was fond of the blue-haired singer, and Ryoma personally felt very concerned over what the butler may do if he heard his side.

“Well...” Ryoma drew in a deep breath. “That is true.”

“Why?” Kamui scowled, clenching her fists. “Why are you not willing to get her?”

“Because it’s too much of a risk.” Her brother closed his eyes, bringing a hand to his forehead. Kamui suddenly noticed dark circles underneath his eyes. “I don’t want to risk anymore soldiers - Ylisse will not harm Azura. They may be a competitive nation, but they will not hurt an innocent woman.”

“Were they not willing to negotiate bringing her back?” Kamui grit her teeth. “Hoshido is very prosperous - I’m sure you have plenty of resources that they don’t. Enough to strike up a bargain.”

“Those resources are for our people, Kamui.” Ryoma rubbed two fingers into the sides of his forehead. It didn’t take too much time for Kamui to realize she was aggravating him into a headache - she was far too skilled at making royalty feel exasperated. “Our country is feeding two now, and I don’t want there to be potential food shortages.”

That, at least, she understood. “Ryoma, you need to send somebody to get her back.” She argued.

Her brother had almost had enough. “Who? Who would be willing to-”

“I will.”

They both looked at Jakob in shock - he was the last person  _ anyone  _ would expect to volunteer. (Except maybe Kamui, who only knew Jakob’s very rare good side.)

“Jakob, you would do that?” Kamui said softly, smiling.

“Of course.” He smiled, kindly at Kamui and threateningly at Ryoma (who rolled his eyes, making a mental note to check out getting a different retainer for Kamui). “I’m very fond of Lady Azura, and I can’t sit back and watch others fail when it causes you so much distress.”

Kamui wrapped her arms around the man, laughing. “Thank you so much Jakob.”

She failed to notice Jakob and Ryoma exchanging a glare yet again.

Standing up and brushing herself off, Kamui bowed to her brother and friend. “I should go, Sakura wants to check my injuries.”

And as she strode out of the room, Kamui felt so very proud of herself.

Then she tripped over the door frame.

Figures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoshido is based off of Japan, mainly, but I’m choosing to also layer in influences from Ancient China, as it’s one of my favourite time periods/cultures. I am also drawing a ton of inspiration from the book series Eon: The Last Dragoneye, which has very similar influences, as well as having some incredibly done world building. My goal is to express the differences in culture.  
> Nohr is based heavily off of European kingdoms, and as such will have very different values - I’ve always imagined that Nohrians would be more vain than others, and in a land as dark as theirs, they would use what little natural resources they had to appear as rich and prosperous as possible. As such, this would play into the roles of women in these times, and I wouldn’t be surprised if women were under a lot more pressure to appear beautiful and perfect, (mainly because I remember Elise discussing her wishes to be more like Camilla, who could easily be established as a Nohrian ideal, alongside Xander.) as well as gifted in battle.  
> If anyone would like, I would be completely willing to discuss the world that I plan to build (based mostly off of headcanons I have of both countries) and also speak of social structure and what I believe each would contain. I may add that as a final chapter, just discussing influences.


	2. Chapter 2

**“Kamui, you’re not good enough to roam around yet.”**

Kamui scowled slightly as Sakura gently prodded at her abdomen, wincing when she hit a sore spot.

“But I’ve been resting for almost six days straight!” Kamui protested, though she couldn’t help but agree... internally. “I’ve been  _ so bored. _ ”

Sakura bit her lip, grabbing a container of salve, rubbing it onto her biggest injury - a huge scrape covering the entirety of her left leg. The familiar scent of mint filled her senses, sending a lurch throughout her stomach. Mint had gradually become a associated with pain for most war veterans, as the herbs contained in both kingdoms all mixed together to make the fresh scent.

“I mean, you know I don’t like the idea of you suffering...” Sakura said softly, wrapping a long bandage around her leg. “And I guess it might be good for you to test out your functions...”

Kamui grinned, slipping herself off of the table, putting her wait on her healthy leg. “So... does that mean I can go outside?”

Sakura gripped her staff, face going red. “I-I can’t let you do that!”

Her joy faded away slightly.  _ Please don’t let her put me on bedrest, please don’t let her put me on bedrest... _ She repeated in her head, staring down at her little sister, who was now blushing. “Well, how am I going to excercise my leg, then?”

Sakura quirked her mouth to the side. “Well, I may not be able to let you run about outside, but... you can walk around the palace. I know that you didn’t have a lot of time for that during the war, so...”

Kamui smiled. “I guess I can make my peace with that.” She pushed down her aggravation, though she knew she would probably wind up taking it out on the sassy maid who brought her food. Sakura did not deserve her pissy attitude - she was just trying to help, and it was just her methods that got Kamui’s nerves. 

Sakura gave her a sweet smile, bowing down. “I hope you don’t get angry - this is for your health! I would really hate it if you got hurt anymore than you already are.”

“I’ll be alright, I’ve just been going crazy cooped up in that room all day with nothing to do.” Kamui began limping over to the door, hand reaching out to grab the wall. Before she opened the sickbay door, she paused and turned around.

“Say, Sakura, do you have a library?”

 

Kamui yawned, curling up under her wool blanket. Hoshido did not have the same plush armchairs found in Nohrian libraries, so she had grabbed a cushion and wrapped a baby blanket around herself, dropping into the corner with a book borrowed from Leo.

Though Hoshido had no armchairs (those beautiful, plush, cushioned armchairs) their library was her favorite room so far - the shelves were stacked with delicate paper scrolls, (that Kamui could not read correctly) and though they were all shoved together, everything was positioned in a way that kept the room peaceful and aired out. Each corner of the perfectly square room had a stand set up with burning incense - it smelled like the campfire treat Camilla used to make her.

Either way, Kamui had found a spot surrounded completely by both bookshelves and the walls - complete isolation. What she found interesting was that the corner had obviously been formed by someone dragging the bookshelves around a spot just small enough for two people. Not that she was complaining, as this particular book had always been a favourite of hers, and she would prefer if no one interrupted her just when she had gotten into the story. 

The sound of a door opening, however, brought her out of her daze, and she internally groaned. The one time she actually  _ wants  _ to be alone, and someone has to interrupt it...

“Shut up, okay?” A voice giggled out.

Wait, was that Takumi?

Kamui frowned. That would be ridiculous because Takumi didn’t  _ giggle.  _ He barely smiled if he didn’t trust you, and he very rarely trusted anyone. The only person who he trusted besides his family was...

Wait, was he with Oboro?

She couldn’t help but squeal internally, because even when the war had been going on, she had always thought her crush on him was adorable, and that they would be so cute. Snapping the book shut, she creeped over to peer at them through the crack between bookcases. 

She had been right - that was Takumi, looking a little worn out, but he had a grin on his face, and he looked well-bathed and fed. His hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and he was wearing a very simple shirt-and-trousers set. However, it seemed that Oboro wasn’t the one hovering over her baby brother right now, making him laugh like Elise. 

No, it was her other baby brother. You know, the one she grew up with, whom she presumed did not get along with her birth brother  _ at all. _

Well, apparently she was very, very wrong.

Leo was hovering close to Takumi, (too close, TOO CLOSE) as the boy was shuffling through the shelves, obviously looking for something specific. Leo was studying the long-haired boy, staring as if he was something cute and precious.

(Yes, Takumi was adorable, but that was besides the point! He was too young for a relationship - especially with Leo of all people!)

“Do you need help?” Leo chuckled, grabbing Takumi and tugging him up. Takumi gave a very kind smile and resting a hand on Leo’s uninjured forearm. The moment was very lovey-dovey, screaming “romance” in Kamui’s over-protective mama bear mind.

This felt like the perfect moment for her to jump out from behind the bookshelf, knocking it over in her haste. It went down with a large BANG, scrolls rolling all over the wooden floors.

“OH, HELLO BROTHER! HOW ARE YOU?” Kamui shouted, grabbing Takumi by the shoulders as the bookshelf crumbled down behind her. “OH WOW, I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU IN SO LONG!”

“Kamui, are you okay?” Takumi asked, eyes wide in panic. “Did you hit your head?”

“What?” Kamui frowned. “No, not at all.” She turned to Leo, faking a gasp at the sight of her brother’s pink face. “Oh, Leo, what are you doing here? I didn’t know you and Takumi were friends!”

“Sure.” Leo glared, though he was still very pink. “You know, I’m sure your leg must be hurting... why don’t you go sit down? In your room... not in here.”

“No, I should probably clean this up.” Kamui smiled as innocently as she could, tipping her head to the side. “You two continue on with whatever it was you were doing!”

She bent down, pushing the bookshelf back up, and proceeded to put every scroll away as slowly as she could.

Behind her, Leo sighed. “Alright, fine. Takumi, what was it you wanted to show me?”

Takumi’s mumbled words of, “I’ll need to look again” Were the last things she heard before they began to speak in whispers - Leo did that on purpose, she could tell. Well, joke was on him. He couldn’t make her leave... ever.

Nope, she would never leave.

She  _ would not  _ allow them to do anything romantic with each other - Takumi was under the protection of both herself and Camilla. They had agreed that the adorable little prince was not allowed to have a relationship of romantic nature until he was at least twenty-five. 

_ I mean, sure, I love Leo. He’s my baby brother. But he will  _ not  _ corrupt Takumi’s innocence. I know about his thing with Niles - Niles is a dirty, dirty man. Nobody escapes from that without being a whole lot nastier. _

When she had finished cleaning up, she rose to check on her brothers, before realizing that neither of them was in the library anymore.

_ DAMN IT! _

 

“Big sister!”

Kamui giggled as Elise bound up the steps, before wrapping the girl in a hug. “Elise! How are you?”

“I’m great! I’m just glad you’re feeling better!” Her blonde pigtails bounced up and down as she poked her sister’s stomach. “Did that big gash on your stomach heal up?” 

Kamui winced, but laughed despite the ache. “Mostly - Sakura has been very demanding about me getting better.”

“Aw, thank you Sakura!” Elise launched herself next to the Hoshidian healer. “You took care of our sister! Now, let’s go catch up! I brought back some mini-cakes from Nohr!”

Sakura gave a bow to their siblings standing by gate, before grabbing Elise’s outstretched hand and running back with her. The two were laughing as they sprinted back to the palace.

“Little Princess, are you alright?” Xander said, stepping forward to rest a heavy hand on Kamui’s shoulder. “I heard from Ryoma that you’ve been allowed to roam the palace freely. Are you sure that’s wise?”

“Sakura was hesitant, but she decided it was best that I get to stretch out my legs.” Kamui had to crane her neck to meet her brother’s gaze - though not as much as she used to. Xander was no surprise to see, though he definitely looked tired - his usually pristine appearance was smudged with dirt and he had circles under his eyes. Honestly, from the looks of it, he was doing more than scouting.

Did Ryoma lie to her?

“Well said.” Xander chuckled, ruffling her hair. “After all, I can’t imagine it’s easy to heal when you’re cooped up in one place for days on end.”

She nodded. “At least  _ you  _ understand. Besides, that way I can keep an eye on Leo. After all, Camilla is apparently too busy scouting to do it herself, so the duty falls to me.” She smirked at Leo, who had turned a soft shade of pink. “Who knows what kind of company he keeps?”

“Don’t you have something more productive to do than gossip about me to my face?” He snarked, frowning at the pair of them. “I mean, surely-”

“Ah, Xander!” 

Kamui giggled as Ryoma cut Leo off, pushing gently past the blonde boy in order to address the king of Nohr. “I can’t help but notice the absence of Lady Elise, is she alright - I heard you were ambushed by Ylisseans.”

Ah, that explained his baggy eyes.

Xander smiled, (though to Kamui it seemed a tad forced) “I can assure you that the two of us are perfectly alright. The Ylisseans are powerful, but, alas, they were no match for Nohrian steel.”

Kamui shuddered, though she wasn’t sure if it was from a sudden cold breeze, or from the remembrance of her Nohrian siblings’ cruelty on the battlefield. (Something she had been forced to deal with when they demanded they fight her themselves.)

“But where is Elise, if you don’t mind me asking?” Ryoma glanced about the bright green fields, (always vivid in colour) as if Elise was hiding about. 

“Ah, she grabbed Sakura and ran off about two seconds after seeing her again.” Xander chuckled. “At this rate, any possibility of war will not be started due to conflict between our families ever again.”

Ryoma nodded. “Hear, hear.” Placing a hand on Xander’s shoulder, he began to lead him back to the palace. “Would you come to my quarters, I need to discuss some... important matters with you.”

From the back of her head, Kamui registered the words. Or, rather, how they been phrased. Maybe Leo and Takumi weren’t the only ones who needed to be watched over...

Speaking of those two, where the heck did they go?

Yet again, Kamui felt very exasperated - some big sister she was...

 

How she had been roped into this, Kamui had no idea.

One minute, she had been curled up in one of the kitchen pantries, a book, blanket and rice crackers in hand, and the next she was sitting on the ground in between the legs of her little sister as she braided her hair.

“Oh, Kamui, you’re so pretty when your hair’s like this!” Elise cheered, tugging on a stubborn strand. “But then again, you’re always pretty.”

“I disagree with that statement, but thanks all the same.” Kamui retorted, resisting the urge to pull the braids in her hair loose.

“No, it’s very true!” Sakura chimed in softly. “You’re very pretty. I mean, your skin is clear, and your hair is such a lovely colour...” As if she had just registered her words, the redhead (though many would argue her hair was pink) flushed and ducked her head down to avoid the gaze of the other two.

“I guess I see the skin thing, but my hair and eyes have always seemed a little... freakish.” Kamui gave a nervous laugh she didn’t know she was capable of. 

Honestly, Kamui had never loved her appearance - growing up in Nohr, all of her siblings had soft, neat of hair the colour of butter, glowing in the moonlight, (Except, of course, Camilla, who had unnatural purple locks down to her hips.) and she had always been jealous of both Leo and Xander’s eyes - they were the nicest shade of dark brown, like the polished wood of Hoshidian homes. And Elise had unique dark blue eyes, that shined purple in certain lights. Kamui also had blonde hair - but it was very, very pale. So pale that she had thought it was white for the longest time, until she came to Hoshido and the sunlight revealed the blonde highlights running through the locks. Normally, that would be fine, but her eyes were the strangest of all - bright, ruby red with a slit for her pupils. They hadn’t made sense until she knew of her stronger-than-average dragon blood. But that didn’t help her at all. She was a combination of strange - white hair, red eyes, pale skin, and dragon powers. Her one attractive quality was her smile - her mouth was a nice red, and when she gave a smile, her eyes lit up, her pearly white teeth shining in contrast. At least she had that.

“But I love your hair!” Elise frowned, brushing the winding braid down so it rested over one of Kamui’s shoulders. “It makes you look all cool and mystical. Like a witch or-”

“A dragon?” Kamui chuckled, standing up and patting Elise on the head. “I appreciate it, but I’m going to go talk to Takumi about doing some archery lessons for my arm.” She held up a hand when Sakura tried to protest. “Sister, I assure you that Xander said it would be best for me to keep it strong while it heals. If I have to train my sword arm to be strong again, I won’t be able to aid in the battle against Ylisse.” She considered tugging the ribbon from her hair, but chose not to. Might as well keep it held back for now.

“Well, if Xander says...” Sakura bit her lip, hesitant.

Elise seemed to understand, as always. “Sakura, Xander has hurt his arm really, really badly before too. Even worse than big sister.” She puffed out one of her cheeks, turning her lips into a little pout. “I think you should trust his input.”

“Thank you, Elise.” Kamui breathed out, relieved.

“Of course! Plus, I’m a healer too!” Elise beamed at the two girls. “You always seem to forget that.”

Sakura ducked her head down, looking immensely guilty. “I’m sorry, Elise, you know that I respect you as both a person and a healer.”

Kamui, unbeknownst to them, had begun backing out of the guest room. She paused when she got to the door, waiting for Elise’s response.

“That’s all I needed to hear!” Elise grinned, wrapping her arms around Sakura. “You’re a great friend!”

Smiling softly, Kamui turned and began making her way back to her room - she would need a change of clothes if she was going to train, she decided.

(In the back of her mind, she patted herself on the back for not tripping over anything on the way out.)

 

“No.”

“Takumi, come on!” Kamui whined, grabbing his arm with her good one. “Sakura said it might be a good idea!”

“I don’t care what Sakura said!” Takumi scowled. “You’ve been stalking me and Leo, watching everything we do - I can’t encourage that behavior!”

“But it’s okay when Camilla does it?” Kamui snorted, unladylike even in recovery. “Do you have a Nohrian fetish?”

Takumi turned red, sputtering. “I- oh, of course not! They’re a-all s-scum! Scum! Every last one of them!”

“Really?” Kamui smiled as he began to get more and more worked up. 

“Yes! I don’t like any of them! They’re all scum!” Takumi shot a bull’s eye into one of the targets. (Imagining it was his sister’s face, no doubt.)

“Who’s scum?”

“Oh, hello Leo.” Kamui said, grinning deviously. 

“Sister.” Leo acknowledged, turning to the long-haired archer. “Who are you calling scum, anyway? It’s too early to be this worked up.”

“Nohrians! Nohrians are scum!” Takumi shouted, pointing at the mage. “The-they’re...” He trailed off, unsure.

“Nohrian scum?” Kamui chimed in.

“Not helping.” Leo scowled.

“Not trying to.” She giggled.

“NOHRIAN SCUM!” Takumi shouted, throwing his practice bow to the ground and waving his fist angrily as he ran from the practice range. “ALL OF THEM! EVERY LAST ONE!”

Cackling, Kamui bent down and picked up the iron bow he had been using. “You know, I’m lucky he doesn’t practice with Fujin Yumi. I can’t figure that thing out.” She notched an arrow and pulled it back, wincing as her shoulder began to ache.

“You’re evil.” Leo noted. 

“Anything new?” Kamui let the arrow loose and... it bounced off of the corner of the stand, and onto the mat underneath.

“Yeah, notch the point outwards, you idiot.” He scowled, weakly smacking her right arm with his left one. 

“Whatever, go follow your boyfriend.” Kamui snickered, grateful he couldn’t reach her worst injuries. 

“Shut up.” He grumbled, stalking away angrily.

“YOUR COLLAR’S INSIDE OUT!” She shouted after the blonde, and waited a beat before an exasperated “Damn it!” resounded through the range in response.

Shaking her head, Kamui walked forward, placing the arrow back into place. She had also realized that Leo looked very tired - now that she thought about it, so did the rest of her siblings. The way that they treated her lately, it was almost as if they were hiding something.

A warm summer breeze swept through, sending her loosely braided hair into a frenzy. Kamui brushed her bangs back, releasing the arrow. This time, it stuck to the very corner of the target. 

It wasn’t as if they had anything to hide - the problem with Azura had been taking care of. She had, in fact, been informed that Jakob had left Hoshido just two days ago and...

Her mind clicked just as the second arrow hit close to the centre of a target (it was two feet away from her own target, but she would take it.), letting out a  _ THWACK  _ as it collided. 

_ Those liars. _

 

She had been thumping her fist into the wall for easily ten minutes, stopping only to shout out Ryoma’s name through the thin wood panelling.

It all made way to much sense now, and she felt like an idiot - as soon as Jakob volunteered to bring Azura back, he and Ryoma had talked for hours. When she tried to see him off, and even once to go with him, she had been held back by Felicia - who, despite her thin frame and shaky voice, was very strong - and brought in to bathe and get her wounds re-bandaged. She had not seen either of her older sisters (though Hinoka’s absence was explained by Sakura as another scouting mission) and it was plain  _ weird  _ for Camilla not to visit her at least ten times a day when she was on bedrest - typically giving her gifts and kisses, and threatening violence against anyone who had harmed her. 

_ Naga, why am I an idiot? Why did you curse me so? I thought Takumi and I were supposed to be related at some point - he’s very smart. I grew up next to Leo, why do I not have his knowledge? Seriously, Naga, get your godly life together. _

“Ryoma! I know you’re in there!” She shouted, stamping her foot into the ground. “I can see the outline of your lobster hair!”

A sigh echoed from the other room, making her fury rise like wood being thrown on a campfire. 

“Don’t you sigh! I should be sighing! You lied to me - if anyone gets to sigh, it is me right now, feeling the sting of your betrayal, you thick-shelled lobster bastard!” She hammered her fist into the wall on her left, not wanting to break his door. 

Finally, the door was pushed aside. Ryoma ran a hand over his brow. “Forgive me, sister, I was sleeping and had to make myself look decent. What are you wearing anyway?”

Kamui flushed a little. She had rushed over here from the archery range, wearing little more than a pair of small trousers and a thin shirt. Shaking her head, she held up the bow, and pushed past her brother into his room. 

“Don’t change the subject, lobster man.” She growled, sinking onto a cushion as he slowly shut the door.

“What is it with you and the Nohrians and your lobster imagery?” He groaned, rubbing his eyes.

Kamui grabbed one of his chopsticks, brandishing it and imagining it was her Yato. “Repent, and confess.”

“You know that those essentially mean the same thing, right?” Ryoma chuckled, pushing the tool away and looking very amused. “Besides, I don’t know what I should be confessing to.”

Kamui scowled, setting the chopstick down and staring up at the ceiling. “Naga, doth thou hateth me? Cursing me with this stupidity of his blood?”

“You’re not allowed to read poetry anymore.” Ryoma smiled, eyes full of affection for the younger girl. 

“Shut it, I’m praying.” Kamui growled, staring at the wooden ceiling. “Naga, will thou remove thy deception? Lend me thy strength to beat my brother’s butt into thou plentiful Hoshidian soil? Through the blood of my winged ancestors, please lendeth thy power to boil the lobster lord.”

“Kamui, please-”

“Sh! Have some respect!” Kamui shushed, scowling at the king. “I’m beseeching my ancestors.”

“Oh dear gods.” Ryoma groaned. 

“While thou is at it, pleaseth telleth me the secrets to the lovely ceiling of this palace.” Kamui bowed respectfully, placing her chopsticks into her tea (apparently her brother had poured a cup as she prayed). “Take my sacrifice and alloweth me to do some butt kicking, okay?”

Calmly, she poured herself a new cup, taking a sip. As slowly as possible, she placed it down and met Ryoma’s eyes. “Brother, where is Jakob really?”

The brown-haired man tensed up right away, any amusement from Kamui’s antics fading away with her words. He knew Kamui was clever, but had assumed her injuries would keep her from prying.

Oh, right, wrong person. That would have been Takumi. The two could be so very alike sometimes.

Either way, he saw no point in hiding it anymore. “Kamui, Jakob is not going out to get Azura.”

“I figured as much.” Kamui scowled, taking another sip of tea. “Naga and I have been conversing.”

He choose to ignore that. 

_ Smart man. _ Kamui thought.  _ But not smart enough. _

Her antics had been enough for him to let his guard down - if she had come in her, guns blazing (which is what she had begun to do, before realizing she needed something more subtle) he would have dismissed her as immature, lying yet again. This sarcastic, joking persona not only made her feel really, really cool, but also lowered the guard of others. After all, he had a soft spot for her younger Nohrian siblings, so why not draw inspiration from them.

_ W.W.L.B.L.D.? _

_ What would Lil Bro Leo do? _

Her new motto.

“Well, I may have... held back some information.” Ryoma grimaced, as if the words pained him to say. “You see, when Azura was taken, I immediately asked Hinoka to go and get her. I’m very fond of her, and I know you would be outraged if I chose not to. I figured that Hinoka, being the most capable in Hoshido, would be able to do it.”

“Well, then where is she?” Kamui frowned, setting her cup onto the table. A cold chill ran down her spine. “There’s no way that Ylisse could stand a chance against Hinoka’s skill.”

Ryoma closed his eyes. “They have a tactician.”

“What?” Kamui’s red eyes widened. “How did we not know about this?”

“You and I may not have known, but Camilla apparently did.” He let out a long breath. “She went in, unbeknownst to us, and managed to get through most of the ranks before she was captured. This tactician was smart - that’s partly why Xander and I have been pushing both Leo and Takumi so hard. The two have so much potential - potential we need turning into talent  _ right now. _ ” He slumped slightly, looking more exhausted than ever. “I’m very sorry for not telling you, sister, but Sakura said the stress of the situation would be too much, especially given your injuries. And I have to agree. What would you have done if you had heard this news as soon as you woke up?”

Kamui bit her lip, considering. “I would have demanded I go on a mission to get them myself.”

“Exactly.” Ryoma gave her a smile. “You’re strong, sister, but you can be foolish. That would have done more harm than good for a queen of the Invisible Kingdom to throw herself into danger like that.”

“I don’t consider myself a queen.” Kamui said softly. “Nor am I so high up in rank that I neglect my loved ones.”

“And that’s why you are both perfectly fit and and a horrible choice for a throne.” A new voice said. Kamui turned slightly, though she didn’t need to.

“Xander, what do you-”

“Little Princess, you are certainly capable of many things.” Xander stood, arms crossed, as opposed to sitting down. “But if you were to rule any land other than V- I mean, the Invisible Kingdom, you would be overthrown in a week.”

Kamui frowned up at the Nohrian King. “Brother, I hardly count caring about the lives of others a weakness.”

“Neither do I.” Xander remarked. “But you would risk the lives of hundreds just to save your loved ones - a trait the new Ylissean tactician will surely take advantage of. You should be spending time learning the political sides of things, as opposed to rushing into battle to save Azura.”

“And Hinoka.” Kamui said, standing up. “And  _ Camilla,  _ Xander. Our sister.”

“Please, little princess, consider this carefully.” He placed a warm hand on her shoulder. “We will be negotiating their release. Our kingdoms are supposed to be in an age of peace, something that I recall you fighting for nail and teeth.” His eyes softened, mouth turning more into an amused smile instead of the frown he had been giving her. “I understand that you stand for peace above all else, and you haven’t been instructed on cause and effect in this kingdom. Despite them being captured, rushing in now and invading the kingdom would just create a domino - a domino that will knock down many more, until we are in full-fledged war.”

Kamui stared at her bare feet - they were suddenly so interesting. How did she not notice how weird her pinkie toe looks? They weren’t supposed to be this long, right?

“Kamui, sister, please.” Ryoma said, standing as well and staring her down sternly. “Focus on getting better. Train with your siblings, study with them,  _ bond  _ with them. Let them instruct you the best they can.”

“But what about-”

“You are not allowed to leave Hoshido until you are fully recovered. That’s an order.” Xander said, looking amused.

“That’s kidnapping.” She grumbled.

“No, that’s called having brothers who  _ care. _ ” Xander laughed, hugging her.

Kamui nuzzled her nose into his shoulder, returning the embrace. “Alright, I won’t get involved.”

“Thank you.” Ryoma said softly.

“You seem unsure.” Kamui pulled out of Xander’s arms. “Would you like me to commune with Naga for you again?”

He was not amused. 

“Leave.”

“Ryoma, I was joking-”

“No. Leave this room before I throw tea on you.”

“Ryoma, what is she talking about?”

“Did I not tell you Xander, I can commune with the gods now - AH! Ryoma, that was a sacrifice to Naga herself, now you’ve made her angry! Repent for your sins and I may have mercy!”

“KAMUI I SWEAR TO THE GODS IF YOU DO NOT LEAVE NOW...”

Oh, how she loves family meetings.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, there's no hope for my sanity now. This is complete, utter crack at this point. Regardless, I hope that the inner ramblings of my mind provides sufficient amusement for you, my audience. Kamui is forever a little shit, and you cannot convince me that she doesn't give her siblings a headache 24/7.  
> Hahaha. Now I'm going to go an type up Chapter 3 because I have nothing else productive to do with my life....  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this [filler] chapter. Have a lovely day, and thank you to everyone who has been leaving comments. (They really brighten my day :)


	3. My Fault

**Through the dark cave, Morgan barely caught the glint of Noire’s inky black hair in the flickering torchlight.**

He did not know when he decided that this was a good use of his time, just that it was becoming harder and harder to see his companions the further into the dungeons they went. He had lost Lucina completely roughly ten minutes ago, as the caves had a permanent blue tinge, and blended perfectly with her hair and clothes.

Luckily for him, Noire’s tunic was a fresh and bright green, which seemed to always draw eyes to her. Unlucky for the girl, yes, but any attempts he made to convince her to wear another uniform typically fell on deaf ears and Severa’s glares.

(His heart panged at the thought of Severa, and he let himself run his thoughts in the direction of “where could she possibly be?” and “is she thinking of me?”)

She wasn’t, knowing Severa.

No, Severa was more likely somewhere in another country, running down the streets and emptying her coin purse as she paid for an aggravatingly large amount of useless items. She was likely carving a circle around herself, stomping her combat boots on the ground and flicking her extravagant pigtails over her shoulders, sending sparks of lightning at anyone who dared look her way or get too close.

She was probably fine. Morgan was just worrying excessively for no good reason.

_ Your mom wouldn’t worry so much.  _ A little voice chirped - the bad one. The one that Morgan chased away late at night as he laid his head upon a pillow, the whisper of,  _ “You should have done more”  _ filtering from one ear to the other, plaguing him in every choice he made. 

It had driven him crazy, made him spend late nights reading his mother’s old journals - leather bound notebooks, with no special design, with carefully scripted strategies. What had worked in each, what she would have done differently. Sometimes, if Morgan was lucky, she had written something of more personal value. 

_ (“I have a son. _

_ He’s young - too young to be dealing with the hell that’s happening right now. But he is bright, and optimistic, and beautiful, and everything that I could hope for in a child. Even now, with me barely knowing the child, I love him with every ounce of my being. This is why I have not talked him out of following us - the connection between us two is undeniable. How else can I explain the surge of affection I felt when he called me ‘Mother’?”) _

Morgan relished in these passages. He hadn’t known his mother in her younger years, had never had any recollection of his father, didn’t realize that his parents were even  _ capable  _ of being human - making mistakes.

_ (“I.... I cannot think when I am around him. _

_ He’s kind - unlike most warriors. He reads people well, he helps others. He is not talented, or witty, or particularly smart. In no way is this man special or spectacular. He is average in every way, except for how hard he is willing to work in order to fulfill his dreams. And yet I think that I love him. And I know that this must translate all too easily form my face and to his eyes. That the crimson glow of my cheeks when he draws too near is as easy to read as a child’s first storybook. _

_ Next to him, I find myself both unable to create the most simplistic of thoughts, but also able to command a force of men more powerful than any other. _

_ I don’t know if I like this. Only time will tell.”) _

The passage about his father was much, much longer. But Morgan couldn’t bring himself to read through it all. After all, these were truly his mother’s most intimate thoughts, and he definitely didn’t feel comfortable reading through those things.

This notebook was shoved into the bottom of his travel pack, taking up more space than was probably wise.

“Morgan.” Lucina’s voice rang out in the silence. “We’re nearly there.”

Morgan snapped himself out of his daze. “Oh, really? That’s great!”

Their walk was cut short by the sudden appearance of a gigantic iron gate, engraved in gold.

The dungeon room.

This was Morgan’s least favourite area of Ylisse. It was cold, and damp, and always filled with people who likely did not deserve to be there.

_ Yes, and you put one of them in there. _

The voice swept through his mind, and his heart panged with guilt. It hadn’t been his idea to take a prisoner in the first place - but he had heard somebody mention a woman named Robin, and he snapped. He issued the first assault he could manage, hoping to capture the blue-haired woman who had mentioned his mother.

It was the same blue-haired woman that now stood in front of him, her curious golden eyes meeting his gaze with a strange serenity that set him on edge.

“Did you want something?” She asked, her gentle voice carrying in the silent prison.

Morgan cleared his throat, and forced himself into an awkward bow. “Hello, ma’am. My name is Morgan.”

He glanced up just in time to catch a flash of confusion upon her face, “Um... hello, Morgan. My name is Azura.”

He smiled as warmly as he could manage, and held her gaze yet again. “I was wondering if you had any information about my mother.”

Azura frowned. Her dress, a lovely garment of blue and white, was stained brown and gray from the damp dungeon floors. Her feet were, strangely enough, bare and caked in mud. Her hair was the greatest pain to focus on - knee-length locks of the lightest, most clear blue, tangled and greasy from days with no means of personal care. 

“That depends. What is your mother’s name?” She asked, stepping up from a crouch and standing at her full height. She was a couple of inches taller than he was, and it made his face burn in embarrassment.

_ You’re just a child playing the part of an adult. _

“Robin.” He said, the name rolling awkwardly off of his tongue. It was the strangest for him to say her actual name, he had soon discovered, but Azura would hardly know a woman named, ‘Mother.’

Azura’s eyes had widened, and she stepped closer to the bars on the cell. “I have heard that name. Several times, in fact.”

His heart leapt - however, this time it was not in fear or in guilt. No, rather, it was from the taste of  _ victory  _ on his tongue.

_ (“Yesterday, Lissa asked me what my favourite flavour was. At the time, I had told her it was vanilla. After all, I have always found more allure in the plain and simplistic ways of life. However, it was several battles later that I found another taste much more my forte - the sweet, spicy, tang of victory. _

_ Plain and simple.”) _

(This was his favourite of his mother’s writing - passages like this were where he could feel the witty and somewhat strange personality of the woman he came from.)

“Where? Do you know where she is?” He felt like an overexcited puppy, bouncing up and down on his toes, eyes wide and eager.

Azura tipped her head, consideration flickering in those pale gold eyes. “I... I had heard rumours of a woman in one of the outermost towns.”

Morgan nods, flicking his hand. “Go on.”

“Well, the town was being attacked,” She said, hand tugging on the skirt of her garment. “By spirits. And they said that one day, she was just...  _ there. _ She charged in and took command of the forces, sending them into positions that she deemed fit.” Azura smiled at Morgan, surprisingly gentle towards her captor. “Your mother saved that town. I had heard the leader of this village say that she used strategies that the ballsiest men would not. If she truly is your mother, you have a lot to live up to.”

Morgan laughed. He knew that it was somewhat cruel, especially considering the situation, but he could not bring himself to care. “I’m actually aware of that. I was hoping that bringing her home would help me live up to her legacy.” 

“Well, this was the least I could do, I suppose.” She smoothed the palms of her hands over ratty blue silk. “Would you maybe consider letting me go, then?”

He nodded. That had, after all, been his plan. “Just tell me the name of the town. We’ve already made arrangements to get you back home. An exchange, of sorts.”

Azura smiled. “You must have been confident I would be compliant to your wishes.”

“Call me an optimist.” Morgan grinned, and turned towards Noire, who was fiddling with her bow nervously. “Noire, could you take her to the castle? We’ll need to get her fed, bathed, and rested for the journey home.”

“Wait.” Lucina held a hand up just as Noire took a step forward. She had been so quiet that Morgan had almost forgotten she was there. She held herself up, chin high up as she moved to stand before Azura. The flames from the braziers caused the gold studded all over her armour to glint and shine, creating an almost halo-like aura around her - she looked every bit the princess of Ylisse. 

“Lucina, we can’t keep her here any longer.” Morgan frowned, though he found himself stepping out of the way. “She’s already fulfilled her side of the bargain.”

Lucina met his eyes. “Morgan, are you stupid? How could you have forgotten so quickly?”

His mind drew a blank, before he suddenly smacked himself upside his own head. “Right! I forgot!” He turned to Azura and smiled warmly. “I’m going to say three names. If any of them sound familiar, tell me, alright?”

Azura nodded, though she looked fairly confused. “I’ll do my best.”

“Severa.” No response. His heart sunk. 

“Inigo.” Again, she made no remark.

“Owain.” Azura simply shook her head sadly. His heart had sunk low in his chest. He had gotten his hopes up for nothing.

“I’m sorry, Morgan.” Azura actually  _ sounded  _ sorry, too. She definitely wasn’t treating them the way prisoners usually treated their captors. “I haven’t ever heard of them before.”

Morgan was silent, mind buzzing.  _ Where else could they possibly be but in the other lands? _

Lucina, however, was onto something. “Severa is about my height, with red hair. Usually held in pigtails, down to her hipbone. She has an.... Interesting disposition.”

Azura paused, eyebrows furrowing as if trying to retrieve some piece of information.  _ (Please let her be looking for a memory of some sort...)  _ “Does she... does she really, really like shopping?”

His heart exploded in happiness.

Lucina laughed - actually  _ laughed,  _ a bright noise like thousands of beautiful bells - and she grabbed Morgan’s arm, squeezing in joy. “Morgan! It has to be her!” She stepped even nearer to Azura, happiness emitting from her every pore. “What do you call her over there?”

“Selena.” Azura said, furrowing her brow. “I didn’t.... I hadn’t thought that she might be using a fake name with us...”

Lucina smiled, and turned to Morgan. “I’ll go gather a group to head over with Azura.”

“Wait,” Azura called, just as the girl had turned to the exit. “I have a request.”

“You’re not exactly in the best position to make requests.” Lucina raised her eyebrow, and crossed her arms. 

“Lucina, she’s been more compliant than we were expecting.” Morgan pointed out, and matched her glare with one of his own.

Lucina sighed, and backed down. (Not because of Morgan’s stare - he was about as intimidating as a puppy) “Fine. What do you want?”

Azura pursed her lips, and her gaze swung to another set of doors. Morgan racked his mind for who was being held there - was there anybody?

“I had heard...” The woman began, “That there was an attempt to bring me back.”

Lucina and Morgan exchanged a look, before nodding in unison. Over the weeks of searching for Severa, the two had spent more and more time in close quarters. The others around the castle had even begun comparing their dynamic to that of Robin and Chrom’s - an effortless joining of minds that no one could hope to join in on. Noire had been one of the few remaining children who had wormed her way into the dynamic, though she just barely was able to keep up.

“There was.” Lucina said. She swept her hand over to one of the doors, which had two guards stationed directly in front. “We took two prisoners. A woman named Camilla, and another named Hinoka.”

Azura’s face lit up, just like Lucina’s when they had heard of Severa. “Would you be willing to let them go? I know those women - they’re good people. Surely I’ve given you more than enough information to warrant their release.”

Lucina hesitated, and stared into golden eyes. Suddenly, Morgan was being pulled into the corner of the room, and Lucina was murmuring under her breath, clutching his wrist with an almost brute force. 

“What do you think?” She said, so close that the warmth of her exhale hit Morgan’s face, his cheek feeling the moisture that came with it. 

“About what?” Morgan frowned. She scowled at him, and he resisted the urge to smack his own head. “Of course! Sorry.”

“Should we let them go?” 

Morgan frowned. “I.... she makes a point. She gave us more than enough information.” His voice drifted off. He didn’t want to state his true opinions, but he knew that Lucina would see right through the guise he tried to force upon himself. 

“But?” Lucina prompted.

“We don’t know if they have any unknown leverage on us.” Morgan groaned into his hands. “It wouldn’t be smart to give up any upper hand we have upon them.”

He felt so,  _ so  _ awful. He  _ wanted  _ to let them go. After all, soon he would be getting his mother back. But what if something happened? The  _ needed  _ an edge, and Morgan knew all too well that when you are approaching a war of sorts, you must remain on the top.

“Morgan, what do you think we should do?” Lucina repeated, though this time it was through grit teeth, like she was trying to hold herself back from snapping. There was a hot intensity in her gaze, though Morgan did his best to pay it no mind. (Which was hard to do, as she was very,  _ very  _ close to him.)

He clenched his fist.

_ This is for the greater good, mom, I promise. _

_ Or, at least, I hope it is. _

 

“How long will I have?” Azura asked, running fingers alongside her sore wrists. Noire had asked that Azura be bathed and given fresh clothes, and now she stood in a simple skirt and blouse, her long blue hair glistening under barely-visible light. 

“I’ll give you ten minutes.” Lucina said, just as Morgan had asked her to. He didn’t want to play the bad guy with Azura any more than he already had, so Lucina had stepped up to the task. 

Not that she was  _ enjoying  _ it, god forbid. No, rather it seemed that Lucina had resigned herself to her duty once again, and was following out the order of events in the way that they would most benefit her kingdom. 

_ It’s not her kingdom yet, you know. _

Morgan pushed the thought down. It had no use to dwell on technicalities. 

_ Chrom can’t rule forever.  _ He found himself thinking back, despite his attempts otherwise.

_ No.  _ The voice sounded smug, almost happy at the thought of Chrom being forced to step down.  _ No, he cannot. _

“That’ll be more than enough.” Azura nodded, and without any more words, pushed open the prison door and entered yet another line of cages.

Noire followed suit, leaving Morgan and Lucina standing alone in the dirty corridor.

The silence between the two lasted only for a few seconds, and then Lucina was placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, and speaking in a reassuring voice, “Morgan, you made the smart decision.”

Morgan stared at a spot on the wall. “I know.” The stone he had picked was discoloured, mottled with green and brown, like stones by the lakeside. 

“If you know, then why do you seem so upset with it?” She tipped her head ever-so-slightly, her grip loosening as Morgan refused to meet her eyes.

He exhaled, puffed a cloud from his lips, and - like he had been wanting to do all day - began walking towards the exit.

“Morgan!” Lucina called as he retreated. “Answer my question!”

He paused just as he put a hand on the door. 

Turning around to stare at her, he met her eyes - the symbol of royalty flashed in his vision, just the slightest shade lighter than the rest of her iris. 

“I made a  _ smart  _ decision.” Morgan began, his voice shaky as he felt tears beginning at the corners of his eyes. “But.... how can I say that it was the  _ right  _ one?”

He left then, if only to keep Lucina from seeing the tears moving down his cheeks.

  
  


Morgan needed a good bit of sleep.

He had never lived in the same future as the others, and thus was used to a nice, long slumber. He enjoyed waking up and feeling rested, ready to take on an army.

Tonight, the idea of sleep evaded him.

He turned onto his side, and curled into himself. His pillow had a damp spot, from where he had been sniffling like a little baby. He felt bad, yes, because this room was one of the nicest he had ever slept in, with it’s soft sheets and fluffy mattress, but he couldn’t bring himself to care at the moment.

_ Look at you.  _ The voice whispered, cackling quietly as if amused.  _ You can’t even make the good decision without falling apart. _

Morgan shook his head, and pulled the blanket up over his head. His fingers grasped for a loose thread to pluck at, like the old ones back home, but alas found nothing. 

_ How could you possibly think you can get your mother back, when you can’t even keep an  _ enemy  _ in captivity without breaking down into tears?  _ The voice began ramping up, gaining confidence as Morgan tried to turn more and more away.  _ You will never be as good as your mother - you see, even when she couldn’t make sure that she made the right decision, she still held her head high. She didn’t cry into her pillow like a toddler. _

Morgan groaned, and smacked his fist into the mattress, gripping the sheets with trembling, pale fingers. “Shut up.” He murmured, though even in his dead quiet room, he could barely hear his words over the thunderstorm in his head.

_ Are you sure you two are related? You don’t seem to think the same ways. _

He tried again, “Shut up.”

_ I’ll bet she left because of you, you know. You’re probably the reason she- _

He threw his blankets back, and grabbed his coat from the hanger in the corner of the room. A midnight walk to clear his head would have to do the trick, he supposed. What else was there to do, after all?

But even as Morgan swept across the dark courtyard outside, breathing in a fresh, flowery scent, he found himself repeating the same words over and over,

_ It’s my fault. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, this has a plot now I guess.  
> It's a fairly short chapter, but mainly just to begin building up the plot. I want to mess around with Morgan's character for a bit, and maybe soon I'll get to write my favourite Awakening lady.  
> Either way, if I'm not too buys in the next few days, I should have something.... interesting posted for this fic.  
> If you're interested in following me on Tumblr, this is my personal blog: http://kidspawn02.tumblr.com/  
> (Sorry had to do some #spon and self-promotion.)  
> Anyway, I hope that you really enjoyed this chapter. I'm mostly, 'eh' about it, but if people aren't happy, I'll rewrite the story at some point or another.  
> Have a lovely day <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conveniently, Kamui just happens to be in the same town as Morgan's mama, who everyone is scared of bc she shoots LIGHTNING and shit. (I am way too tired to be posting anything rn but I DON'T CARE)

**If there was one thing that she remembered about herself, it was that books were her safe haven.**

She pushed a book back onto the shelf, breathing a strand of pale hair from her face. The library in this town was next to dead, which was fine with her, because this simply meant that she had more time to herself.

_ It’s not like you’ve been hounded by people over the last few days, you know.  _ She reminded herself, and pulled a thick volume down from one of the higher shelves.  _ They all think you’re strange. The way you look, how you act. Even your fighting style is so wildly different. _

She supposed that was fair - she did not look like the others in this town. She was pale, with auburn and dark, round eyes. A stark contrast to the tanned, black-haired and almond eyes of the typical village woman. She wore heavy clothes, made from thick fabrics, while they wore simple, loose cloth made from a lighter, much more breathable material. And, of course, she knew magic.

The day that she had outed herself as someone to avoid, she had been lucky - or unlucky, as some might say - enough to find a magic tome. An actual  _ book,  _ not the strange scrolls that most other magic users had on them when they did little tricks in the street. The bottom of her bag had a leather-bound text, engraved with yellow lines, and she had, without thinking, cast a gigantic bolt of lightning at the approaching spirits. 

It had struck them down, and everyone had stopped and gaped, the panic from moments before replacing itself with a wild curiosity. 

Then came the shunning.

Now, she had always been fairly remote, even in her small amount of time here, but now these people seemed to make their distrust even more obvious. They never answered her questions anymore, (frustrating her beyond belief because she had  _ so many)  _ and she was left to spend her days gathering information the only way she knew how - through books.

She had made her way through half the library, when she finally found out where she was - a land called Hoshido, which was on the Eastern side of this particular land mass. Nohr lay in the Northwest, though it was too far of a journey to make her way there, where people would most likely be a bit more accepting.

_ I’ll just wait it out here, and get enough supplies to attempt travel elsewhere.  _ She had decided on day two, when the innkeeper had charged her twice the price for her room. Of course, she had paid, because it wasn’t their fault that she had lost all sense of who she was, and she may as well because she was a foreigner intruding on their culture.

Two weeks in this little town, and she was  _ so close  _ she could  _ taste  _ it.

She stuffed the book into her bag, and pushed the door out of the way as she made her way down the street. As usual, the streets were fairly empty this time of day, as most people were just getting up and around to go do their jobs. She had always been an early bird, though, so it was easy enough to get to the library before others did as well.

As she passed under an archway, she realized that somebody was up there, decorating the plain wooden structure in bright flags and flowers.  _ Strange.  _ She pondered.  _ Last time I saw this happen, they had a festival. But there’s no holiday today...? _

“Excuse me?” She called up to the worker. He paused and stared down at her. His eyes widened in recognition, and she could have sworn she saw a bead of sweat drip down the side of his jaw.

“U-uh.” He cleared his throat, and chuckled weakly. “Y-yes?”

“What are you decorating this for?” She asked. “I mean, it looks beautiful, you did a good job. But what is its purpose.”

The complement loosened him up, and he gave her a full, genuine smile.

“Ah, you’re in for a treat.” He began, and tied another flag onto the wood. “We have royalty going through today - Princess Kamui is feeling better, and she will be making her way through Hoshido’s towns. And she’s  _ starting  _ with us. It’s truly an honour.”

“Sounds like it.” She hummed, and gave a curt nod. “Well, thank you for telling me. I should probably be here when she heads through.”

He nodded vigorously. “That would be a  _ very _ smart idea.”

She nodded yet again, and waved. “Goodbye. Have a nice day.”

“You too.” He called. 

She strode across the courtyard, squinting against the sunlight. Pink blossoms fell near her feet, like a soft cotton candy blanket. It was so unfamiliar to her, to see this beautiful yet so...  _ exotic  _ land. 

She settled under a tree, book in hand, and began to read.

  
  


The carriage was simplistic, yet beautiful. Elegantly carved into an intricate wooden pattern, gold paint along the sides. A plain brown horse drove the carriage ahead, along the stone street.

She pushed her way to the front of the crowd, for a closer look at this woman - who was so important that the villagers had actually dropped all of their tasks for the day  _ just  _ to greet her.

Staring up at the carriage, she saw this woman - Kamui.

Well, she was a cute one, certainly. Long, white-blonde hair, lovely pale skin with a tint of pink on her cheeks, and ruby red eyes. There was nothing classically “beautiful” about this woman, but she radiated an energy of peace and warmth and comfort. Even though she had multiple bandages wrapped around her body, she looked happy and proud and kind, wrapped in a red gown. It was strange - wrapping around on her from the back, tied together with fabric at the front. 

She stared up at Kamui, who was smiling enchantingly, waving at the crowd. This was the person who saved the countries?

_ She’s barely sixteen... _

Just as she assumed that this carriage would pass without incident, their eyes met.

Dark, round, wise eyes met red, optimistic eyes. A shiver went up her spine, as if she  _ knew  _ her somehow?

But that wasn’t possible. She had never seen this woman before in her life.

She shook her head, and began stepping back, retreating to the tavern.

  
  


She is not one who is often compelled to drink when upset, but her brains are running so quickly that only alcohol seems to be soothing the storm that is her mind.

She took a sip, tipping her head back and allowing the sharp sting of the alcohol to tinge the back of her throat. There was the faintest fragment of a memory in the back of her mind, like she spent hours on end sitting next to someone doing the same thing.

Brown eyes. Warm, welcoming. Home.

Her heart grew with warmth.

She slammed the glass down, cheeks red. Where the hell had that come from? As far as she was concerned, she didn’t feel any romantic inclination towards anybody.

She sighed, gently setting her head on the smooth wood of the counter. Sucking in a deep breathe, she let the words in her mind boil over.

“Hi!”

She jumped, back straightening as she drew her fists up in defense. Her feet involuntarily came over and swept over the newcomer. She yanked on their wrist, only to feel herself overpowered and pressed against the counter.

Ruby red eyes met her own, a bright smile on Princess Kamui’s face.

“Sorry for startling you!” She said, releasing her. She rubbed her wrist, surprised at the princess’ deceptive strength.

“No, it’s.... Fine.” She frowned. “Um... I should be more alert.”

The princess flashed a cheery white smile, pearly even in the dim tavern lights. “Let’s take a seat over here.”

She led the two over to a table in the corner, where they sat and stared at each other for several minutes.

Out of habit, she began to examine the princess for weaknesses. She had a slight frame, but even now that she was close, the lean muscle was easily identified. There was a sparkle in the woman’s eyes, like she was ready to hear all of your issues and give you some overly sappy advice that would likely help in the end.

It gave her a nice feeling, like she was safe even in this strange land.

“I really am sorry for sneaking up on you,” Those ruby eyes twinkled under the light, and the smile only accentuated the warmth. “I just really needed to speak with you.”

“About what?” She returned, crossing her arms.

Kamui took a breathe. “Well... this sounds stupid, but.... I think we’re connected somehow.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Well, no offense, but I’ve never met you before in my life. I didn’t even know who you were when you came here.”

“Huh.” She tipped her head. “Then I suppose now is as good a time as any to get acquainted.” She held out a slender, pale hand. “I’m Kamui.”

She stared down at this stranger for only a few seconds before she took the chance.

“Robin.” She said, clasping her hand around Kamui’s.

They both felt the spark of destiny and knew there was no going back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so a quick explanation, no big deal - I basically went to a psych ward for six months where I was being treated after a suicide attempt I made. I was treated for anorexia, depression, and anxiety. And I'm still depressed af but at least I'm still eating.  
> So if the writing seems off, I am so sorry. I just want to write this story because it actually makes me happy <3 I really hope that you are all living a fulfilling life. Please. Your life is so important. To me, to others, and TO YOU.  
>  Sorry, got sappy. Anyway, yeah.... sorry for lack of updates.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo is insecure and awkward af. Takumi is also awkward. And jealous. But lowkey. They know they're attracted to each other, but all they do is throw out some poetic shit about each other and stare wistfully as sunbeams fall in their faces. (basically, I wanted to write Leokumi.)

**Leo did not consider himself a petty man.**

Arguably, he would say that he is one of the mature members of the royal family. Especially when he was the only person maintaining any decorum in the chaos ensuing around the countries.

No, he was not petty.

Immature and irrational in any social manner? Yes. There was no question.

But he refused to be  _ petty. _

Which is why he was not speaking with Xander right now. 

His brother had, when Leo requested to head home, stated that he “didn’t need him.”

That had hurt.

Nevermind the fact that Leo never felt wanted in normal circumstances, but the one moment when he knew that he could be useful to his country, and he was rejected. Like he wasn’t good enough. It left a bitter flavour in his mouth, soiling his mood for the duration of the day.

He was curled up in the corner if the room, reading his book, nose so close that he was almost touching it. The air around him was dead silent, just as he usually liked it. His feet were propped up upon one of the chair’s arms.

He tore his gaze from his book, mind too occupied to actually process any words. His gaze was lost in the window, where the cherry blossoms fell elegantly to green grass in which Leo had never been acquainted.

There were a hundred thoughts flowing through his mind at once, and yet none at the same time. 

For hours, minutes, seconds, he stared out the window, trapped in thoughts, before he snapped from his stupor. 

There was no point in lingering around and dwelling on his hurt feelings - he would just have to suck it up and be useful while he was here.

He swept up, and made his way to the door. The library, as pleasant as it was, would not provide any grounds to be even somewhat useful.

Not that the place he was left in was even somewhat unpleasant - Hoshido was certainly beautiful, he would admit. Never before had Leo been subject to such rich breezes, the emerald green grass, the sunlight that shone on the back of his neck, (turning his skin bright red) and the scent of.... Well.... how did he describe it?

Oh, yes,  _ happiness. _

Not that his life wasn’t  _ happy  _ back home, but it was not nearly as...  _ vibrant  _ as Hoshido. Back in Nohr, he had his siblings. Xander would attempt to teach him swordplay, Camilla would always read him stories, Kamui would always be there to read with, and Elise would always drag him to her room for little tea parties and ‘makeovers.’ (He still shivered when he recounted those.) But here, at Hoshido, Leo actually found himself getting along with people he wasn’t actually related to.....

Like Takumi.

Meeting Takumi had been an... interesting situation. At the beginning they had despised each other. Leo would purposefully go out of his way to avoid the young prince. They were toxic and dangerous around each other.

But Kamui, Naga bless her soul, decided that this meant they needed more “bonding time.” What this meant for the two was forcing them into countless situations in which nobody wished to be involved. This included leaving the mess hall simultaneously in order to get them to interact.

Nothing seemed to work. The more people pushed a friendship, the angrier Leo and Takumi got. After all, they were two stubborn souls forced in a circumstance no one could possibly enjoy.

But, as with most things Leo, everything changed with a book.

He still remembers curling up, flipping through the leather binding as he absorbed the story. The sunlight was falling very gently on his shoulders, and though he had known that he was risking a sunburn, he had stayed because the scent of fresh grass had been too seductive.

“What are you reading?”

It was the first time Takumi had ever initiated conversation, and, frankly, it was probably for the best. Leo could maintain a professional manner, but making a friendship was  _ out of question. _

Leo had flashed the cover to him, lighting a spark in the other prince’s eyes. They were so absorbed into gushing over it that they simply forgot how to hate each other.

The rest of the camp was shocked, but to Leo and Takumi, it felt only to natural. Like taking a fresh breath of air.

So, Leo’s feet instinctively took him to where he knew Takumi would be - probably in the archery range, shooting arrow after arrow until his arms were nearly falling off from exhaustion. 

Leo was right. As usual. That silver-haired boy was shooting at a crude target, his hair tucked into its usual ponytail. Leo couldn’t help but wonder if Takumi had ever considered a braid - it would be much more practical, and -

His cheeks flushed red when he discovered where his thought process was headed.

“Takumi, “ He called, approaching and praying to god he would mistake it for a sunburn. “Can we talk?”

Takumi paused in his actions, dropping his stance. He arched an eyebrow at Leo, who looked like a ruffled bird. “Sure.”

He sat on the ground, and pat the area in front of him. Leo nodded and settled in a seated posture right next to him. This was how they always sat - outside, with books or something else to do. Eventually they put the books down and just talked.

“Any specific?” Takumi asked.

“Not really.” Leo confessed. “I just needed to talk to somebody, and you’re the first person I thought of.”

Takumi’s cheeks seemed to turn a rosy pink at those words. “I-I didn’t think that you would say that.”

Leo chuckled. “Yes, Takumi. It’s impossible that I would wish to spend time with the person I get along with best.”

Takumi’s nervous laughter had butterflies flying through Leo’s stomach - something about it was so pure, so cute, so  _ innocent  _ that he couldn’t help but feel blessed that it was directed at something he had said.

“Well,” Leo paused, biting his lip. “I suppose...”

“You’re upset because Xander asked you to stay here, right?”

Sometimes Leo forgot how preceptive Takumi could be - for all of his irrational anger, his tendency to snap at the smallest issue, and any other indication otherwise, he was a natural born strategist. He could read people like a book.

And Leo, well, Leo could read books. 

“Well, yes.” Leo said.

Takumi gave him a soft smile. “Leo, he asked you to stay here because he thought you’d be of more use to us.”

“How can you be sure?” Leo defended, eyebrows furrowing.

“Because I know that I would never send you away,” Takumi begins, light pink dusting those tanned cheeks. “You’re a valuable asset to both Nohr and Hoshido.”

Leo felt his face heating up. Ryoma had said the exact same thing, but somehow hearing it from Takumi’s lips turned it into a wave that rushed over his head, sending his mind buzzing.

Maybe because the underlying message was,  _ You’re valuable to me. _

Leo was no idiot, there was a chemistry between the two of them. Neither was attempting to keep these feelings hidden, but they also were choosing not to say anything either. It was infuriating to be so close to something and yet so far.

But Leo understood - Takumi was scared. He had lost so many people, and Leo wasn’t exactly....  _ resilient  _ in battle. Even after their last battle, he had been too injured to move for a few days. The prince had refused to talk to him for a full week. When he finally broke the silence, it was from a hug, with their arms clutching as tight as they could, with whispered words of, “I’m just glad you’re okay” and the damp press that neither would admit was their tears. 

And Leo wasn’t exactly on good terms with the idea of being attracted to another man. Nohr wasn’t exactly as....  _ open _ as Hoshido. Even now, though the leadership had passed to Xander, who was admittedly more open minded, there was still a feeling of prejudice when anyone of the same gender showed affection in public.

So, here they sat. At a stalemate. Neither wanting to express themselves, and both wishing they had the courage to push past their barriers.

Well, there was nothing Leo could do about it. He sighed and the two settled into a rather comfortable silence. The scent of blossoms lingered in the spring breeze, the sunlight bouncing perfectly off of the man in front of him - silver hair shining, and those amber eyes being illuminated the colour of the sun in which Leo had always so often craved.

“Hey, do you want to do something?” Takumi asked. There was concern reflected in his eyes.

“Like what?” Leo scowled. 

“Well......” Takumi whipped his head around. “We could play Shogi.”

Leo nodded. “Alright. One game. And then I get the chess board out.”

  
  


As usual, Leo championed chess while Takumi had all of his wins in Shogi. Leo could never imagine a day that he ever beat Takumi and vice versa. Yes, it was aggravating, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Has  _ anyone  _ ever beat you?” Takumi raised an eyebrow. 

“Hm.” Leo thought back. “Selena, I think. We kept on playing until she beat me, and we haven’t played since.

Takumi laughed. “That sounds like Selena.”

Leo chuckled, and began setting up another chess game. “Despite her stubborn nature, she can be a very good companion, don’t get me wrong.”

Takumi was suddenly quiet. Did Leo say something wrong?

“Do you... talk to Selena a lot?”

“Yes.” Leo answered, oblivious to the look Takumi was sending his way. Instead, he simply continued on. “She’s just very easy to talk to, I suppose. Yes, she’s irrational at times, but at the core of it all she’s a kindred spirit. Just misunderstood.”

He moved his pawn, first, and raised his eyes to meet Takumi’s. “Are you alright?” The archer was staring out the window, a frown on his lips.

“Hm?” Takumi’s head snapped up. “Yes! I’m alright!” He shouted, looking flustered.

“Alright.” Leo shrugged and they continued with their game. 

“Say, Leo...” Takumi said about halfway through.

“Yes, Takumi?”

“Has Xander ever talked to you about marriage.” The prince was staring intensely down at the chess board. “I mean, at all.” Dark red was creeping all along Takumi’s neck, causing Leo’s lips to twitch up ever so slightly.

“Well, I’m not quite sure if we’ve talked, but I think I know the requirements.” Leo said, shifting his knight and capturing Takumi’s castle. 

“And those would be?”

Leo smirked a bit. “Well, there aren’t really any.” He sighed, and glanced out the window. “I’m not the direct heir, so as long as I don’t marry a demon, I’m good.”

Takumi nodded lightly, biting his lip as he examined the board. When he moved his bishop, he said, “Would you ever marry Selena?”

Leo raised his eyebrows. He was shocked, honestly, that he thought that his and Selena’s relationship would be that way. “No.”

He took a deep breath, and met Takumi’s glowing eyes.

“I’m afraid someone else has caught my heart.” 

The words came out before he could stop them, and they both stared at each other in silence. 

“So, um....” Leo cleared his throat. 

“Yeah....” 

They were quiet.

“I’m gonna go now.” Leo said, standing up suddenly. His knees smacked into the chessboard, and he fell over sideways and onto the wooden floor.

“Are you okay?” Takumi scrambled over and knelt next to him. Leo’s face heated. Strands of his hair fell onto his cheeks, graceful crescent shadows curving onto his skin, the sunlight hitting him at such a perfect angle that he seemed to have an almost angelic glow. It was too much for Leo to even handle.

So, he did the most logical thing in any circumstance akin to this one.

He turned on his heel and bolted out the room, screaming for Kamui.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot with my little dorks <3 I just squee whenever they do anything - my babes.  
> Here, have some sexual tension. Basically, I'm channeling all of my klance vibes into these guys because it takes me ten months to even BEGIN writing anything for a new fandom. (i'm voltron trash pls help me)  
> Also, I like to imagine Leo and Selena being good buds. (Besides, their supports are hella cute and I married then in Revelations so why not throw in some jealous Takumi.)  
> Lol, these nerds.  
> *stays up till midnight reading fanfiction*


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamui is gay af for Robin, (but don't worry nothing happens) Leokumi is all awkward, and Azura is back!! Yay!!

**Kamui did not expect them to take it well.** In fact, she had known beforehand that they would take it horribly. 

Because what else could they do but get angry when Kamui dragged up a (very pretty) stranger and announced that they would be staying up at the palace?

“So, let me get this straight...” Leo arched a pale eyebrow. “You felt a connection, so you decided to bring a foreigner into the palace?”

“Yes!” She groaned, stretching back until her head hit the ground. Her feet remained on Leo’s bed, (well, his bed in the guest room, technically) and she scowled at her brother from upside down.

“And that’s why you’re grounded?”

She flipped herself back up, sitting criss-cross on his bed. “I’m not grounded! I’m just.... Not allowed to leave the castle for a week.”

“Sister, dear, that is the definition of grounded.” He deadpanned.

“Shut it! Don’t tell anyone!” She glared at him, and grabbed one of his pillows.

“Maybe I should - announce to the world that my sister is  _ grounded  _ of all things.” He smirked. “After all, it’s not like she’s supposed to be leading a  _ country  _ or anything.”

“Just remember I have dirt on you!” Kamui accused, pointing her finger directly between his eyes. 

“Dirt on what, exactly?” He crossed his eyes to look at her finger, (which had her mouth twitching up at the corners because it was  _ Leo _ ) 

“You and a certain prince of Hoshido.” She teased.

Leo kept a cool face. “I think Ryoma is a little old for me.”

She smacked him in the face with a pillow.

She was getting too old for this.

  
  


“Ryoma-”

“No.”

“Big brother-”

“NO.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“C’mon!”

“No.” 

Kamui’s shoulder slumped. “Why do you torture me so?”

“You did this full well knowing the consequences.” Ryoma didn’t even look up from his book, the jerk. “She could have been a spy.”

“But she’s not!” Kamui raised a finger, grinning. “And  _ that  _ is the real lesson here.”

“What would that be?” Ryoma said dryly.

“Always believe the younger people.” She declared.

“And why is that?”

“Because your old brains are starting to rot.” She said.

Ryoma groaned, and set his book down. “Kamui... I’m four years older than you.”

“Exactly,” She nodded, keeping her face serious. “And look how far you’ve fallen.”

Ryoma glared at her, and looked back at his work. “The answer is still no.”

“Come on!” She whined. “You can’t keep me in the castle for a week when there’s a war going on right on our lands!!”

“I can.” He said. “And I am currently doing so. Right now. At this very moment.”

Kamui could only do one thing.

She hissed at him.

  
  


Robin was very pretty.

It wasn’t something Kamui  _ meant  _ to notice, it was just an obvious fact that she was stating.

Because, truly, the woman was a beauty. Long, thick and silky auburn hair hanging from a neat ponytail, dark brown eyes the colour of coffee or tea untouched by cream, and porcelain skin like a doll. It wasn’t even simply her looks - she had an inner beauty about her, a grace that softened her features. Intelligence that glittered in her eyes.

The woman was currently reading. Kamui didn’t bother to check the book’s cover when she waltzed into the guest room and sat down across from her. 

“How are you?”

Robin flipped a page. “Well, let’s recap.”

Kamui gulped. She had a faint idea as to where this was going....

“I am in a strange country, where I remember nothing but my name.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Kamui’s eyes followed the motion, watching the slender finger against her cheek. “I am hated by all villagers, and suddenly a princess decides to befriend me.” How was she still reading? “And upon arriving, I am interrogated for hours on end by a man who bears a strong resemblance to a lobster.”

Kamui flushed. That did sound pretty awful, being recounted so. “Well, I assumed I was making a stretch with the lobster thing...”

“No, trust me.” Robin’s eyes flicked up, smirk on her lips. “It doesn’t take a genius to see.”

Was she joking? Was that a joke? Was it hot in here? Kamui fanned herself slightly.

Robin chuckled as Kamui did this. “Are you warm?”

“A little.” Kamui confessed. How Robin wasn’t, she had no clue. The woman was draped in a thick overcoat, which was decorated with symbols. Runes, it looked like.

“I could open a window.” Robin offered.

“No thank you.” She returned, fanning even harder.

Robin’s lips twitched. “You’re cute.”

Ugh. This was not okay. Her heart was not allowed to thump in her chest. God damn you Robin, stop being so pretty.

“How old are you?” Kamui blurted out.

Robin’s eyebrows furrowed. “Hm... well.... I’m not  _ quite  _ sure... but...”

Kamui waited as Robin calculated in her head. 

“Around twenty-five.”

Kamui began coughing. “Oh, wow.”

Robin scowled. “Don’t look so surprised. Not all of us are little babies.”

Kamui flushed. “Sorry, I just... you look very young.”

_ Too pretty to be so much older than me. Life is so unfair. _

“I’ve been told that before.” Robin said.

They settled into a silence, Kamui leaning against the wall as she observed Robin. The woman had little quirks - furrowing her eyebrow as she reached the end of her page, twitching her foot every so often. Sometimes, she touched a little ring around her fingers, twisting it with her thumb.

“What’s that ring for?” She questioned.

“Huh?” Robin looked at the ring in question. “Oh, this. I’m not quite sure.” She bit her lip. “But I think... it was from someone very... special to me.”

_ A spouse.  _ Was Kamui’s first thought. But maybe now was not the best time to bring forth an idea? Robin seemed so confused, so frustrated, and it would be unfair to launch such an idea upon the woman.

Robin snapped the book closed. “Kamui,”

Kamui hummed, looking up at her. “Yes?”

“Would you like to practice sword fighting?”

There was no holding back on her end.

“Yes.”

  
  


The clang of metal rang through the arena, and a rush of warmth swept through Kamui’s blood.

_ This  _ was her true solstice, clashing her sword, whipping around. It was one thing she could freely admit she was good at.

Robin was no slacker either - she seemed to peer into Kamui’s head and see the next move she would make. She was a step ahead, a pace faster, and much more skilled than an average citizen would be.

“You have a graceful form.” Robin remarked, pressing with her sword. 

“And you’re...” Kamui panted, “Really good at this.”

“Nothing compared to you.” She ducked under Kamui’s next strike. Kamui grabbed her arm, swept her leg beneath the other woman’s, and sent her falling to the ground.

With the sword tip underneath her chin, sweat beading on her forehead, and that small smile on her face, Kamui couldn’t help her retort.

“You make a lovely point.”

They smiled at each other, and Kamui sheathed her sword and held a hand out.

Robin grasped their palms together, and stood. She was panting a little, Kamui noted smugly.

“Do you know magic?” Robin asked.

Kamui tipped her head. “A little, why?”

Robin opened her palm, and a bolt of electricity zipped between her fingertips. “That happens to be my specialty.” She held her hand out to Kamui, so the young girl could watch as the miniature storm zipped between the woman’s elegant fingers.

“That’s beautiful.” Kamui murmured.

“I have found that the most beautiful items often turn out to be the most deadly.” Robin said, and closed her fist. 

“So you must be a killer on the battlefield, then.” Kamui blurted out, then slapped two hands over her mouth when she realized what she had said.

Robin, thank Naga, simply laughed. “I’m a bit too old for you, Kamui.”

Kamui laughed back. “I know. But you can’t blame me for trying.”

Robin chuckled. “You are very cute, did you know?”

They began their way back to the castle, Kamui cursing in her head.  _ Naga, I thought you were on my side??? Cut me some slack here, okay? _

  
  
  


Robin was, also, wonderful company at dinner. She had a witty retort to everything Leo whipped out, something snarky to send Ryoma groaning and cursing his soul, and something encouraging to Takumi. But also something snarky. Because Takumi, god bless his soul, needed to have someone talk back to him.

(Kamui noticed, with narrowed eyes, that Leo and Takumi said nothing to each other. She made a mental note to check on that later.)

“Robin,” Ryoma began. “I must apologize for your treatment upon arrival. Normally, we are more hospitable. It’s just that-”

“You needed to be safe,” Robin smiled. “I understand completely. I would have done the exact same thing.”

Ryoma smiled. “I’m glad you understand... now, what were we talking about?”

Before Kamui could throw an old man joke, (god damn it, she was good at those!) a soldier ran into the room. 

“Sirs! Azura is back!” He said, eyes wide, spear clutched so hard in his hand his knuckles were turning white at the joints.

Kamui was out the door in a flash.

  
  


“AZURA!”

The woman was still there, as amazing as ever. She was in a fresh  kimono, (courtesy of the soldier who had informed them of her return) her blue hair cascading down her back. Her golden headband still adorned her locks, and there was a soft smile that went right along with it.

She launched herself on her cousin, sobbing into her shoulder. “You’re okay. Thank Naga.”

Azura pulled back, smiling. “Hello, Kamui.” There was such a soft affection in those golden eyes that Kamui simply felt more tears running down her cheeks. She pulled her back into an embrace.

“Azura, how did you get out?” 

Azura pulled back to look her in the eye. 

“The Ylisseans.”

Her lips tightened and she looked at them all with determination.

“One of their own is here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I.... I need to stop. I had a weekend off from school and I am so bored and depressed and suicidal right now that the only thing I could think of to do was to write another chapter. Jesus, I have an issue. I hope I'm not annoying anyone.  
> Love you guys, (and thank you for the comments, they mean a LOT)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azura is back, Leo is stupid and insecure (but very, very pretty), and Robin accidentally has, like, three lines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you can't tell, describing moonlight is my favourite thing in the world. Especially because Leo is so pretty.  
> Also, the Leokumi at the end because I was feeling depressed and these nerds make me feel happy.

**“Who is it?” Kamui’s shock was plain in every syllable.**

Azura pursed her lips. “Kamui, may we please go inside? I will be able to explain.”

Kamui scowled. “No. I need to-”

“Kamui!” Ryoma pressed his hand to the inside of Kamui’s elbow. “Please, Azura has just gotten back. I’m certain that she’s tired and hungry.”

Azura nodded, though as she pulled away she cupped Kamui’s cheeks and looked her right in the eyes. “Kamui, please, I will explain as soon as I have enough energy to do so. But I am tired, and worn out.”

Kamui relented, nodding and releasing her grip on the woman.

“I was so worried about you.” She whispered, clenching her fists and fighting down tears.

Azura smiled, and linked their hands together.

“Well, I’m right here.”

  
  


Azura was laid into her bed, with Sakura waiting by to aid with any injuries.

“So far, though, she’s fine.” Sakura explained, fiddling with her staff absentmindedly. “She’s a little bit sleep deprived, but that’s to be expected.”

“But otherwise...” Kamui hesitated, in case she was guessing wrong.

“They took very good care of her.” Sakura assured. “She doesn’t have a single scratch. And, that means Hinoka and Camilla are okay as well.”

Kamui sighed in relief, and sank to her knees by Azura’s bed. “Azura....”

She pressed her forehead against the other woman’s porcelain skin, breathing in and out. “I’m so happy that you’re okay.” She pressed her lips softly against her forehead, and rose. 

“Sakura, come find me when she wakes up, or if she gets worse.” Kamui ordered, and swept from the room.

On the other side, Leo was waiting.

“Sister.” He acknowledged. The moonlight traveling through the room was making his soft hair glow silver, and illuminating his pale skin. Kamui felt a pang of jealousy at the thought that followed,  _ How is my baby  _ brother  _ prettier than I am? _

“Leo,” She furrowed her eyebrows and automatically switched to mama bear mode. She was ready to hear all of his issues, to hold him and give him some peace in his turmoil. “What’s wrong?”

“Well, besides the fact that we’re probably entering war...” Leo rolled his eyes, glaring out the window. He was avoiding Kamui’s eyes.

“Leo, does this involve Takumi?” Kamui asked, smiling softly.

Leo blinked, a flush of red spreading over his cheeks. His eyelashes brushed against the skin, and his hair fell in his oak eyes from lack of his headband. He look  _ years  _ younger - like an actual teenager. “I’m not going to answer that.” He said. 

Kamui chuckled softly, and grabbed her brother’s shoulder. “Sit.” She slid her back down the wall until she was sitting with her ankles crossed. Leo followed, though his back was stiff - most likely because he knew where this was going.

“What are you worried about?” She asked.

Leo sighed, the moon’s light casting a crescent on the bridge of his nose. “As far as I know, Hoshido would not be against..... Takumi and I being together.”

Kamui nodded, tipping her head and propping her cheek in the palm of her hand. “They are pretty accepting here.”

“But Nohr is...” He sighed, closing his eyes. “Nohr is definitely not socially accepting of a relationship of.... That nature.”

“A same-sex couple?” Kamui knit her eyebrows. “Why would they not-”

“Nohr is very traditional.” Leo said, staring down at the ground. “Kamui, I am technically still a potential heir to the throne. Therefore, it may someday be up to me to produce a child who can lead.”

“But the chances -”

“The chances don’t matter!” Leo shouted, smashing his fist into the floor. “If something happens to Xander, Camilla intends to pass the throne to me and...”

She watched Leo, his tense shoulders and the rage in his eyes.

“Leo,” Kamui finally said. “Stop.”

He froze, and looked up at her. “What?”

“Stop.” She repeated. “Stop sacrificing bits of yourself for a potential future. Stop planning everything. Live in the moment for once. Think about that if you have to deal with it. Because who cares if the citizens or even the castle doesn’t approve?” She grabbed him by the shoulder. “I will take down every person who tries to stop my baby brother from being happy.”

Leo was staring at her in pure shock. “Kamui, you...”

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into an embrace. “Leo,” She said into his ear. “I love you so much. There’s no other way to say it. I would do anything to keep my family happy - even giving up my own life.”

He laughed. “I actually knew that. Maybe that’s a habit you should break. It’ll get you killed.”

“Shut up, Leo. We’re having a moment.”

He did. They held each other for what felt like forever, holding each other in the present, and thinking of the future.

  
  


The next morning, Kamui could tell it was better. There was no more awkward energy crackling between them, just.... Something peaceful. Leo and Takumi sat next to each  other at breakfast and managed to hold a conversation with everyone - not just themselves. As if they knew they would have plenty time to themselves later.

Kamui smiled, and dug into her porridge. It was bland, but better than nothing, and she couldn’t complain when her stomach was growling like an unfed lion. It was filling, and it would tide her over until later.

Azura swept into the room, wearing a fresh set of white robes, with her long blue hair brushed and glossy and falling all the way to the wooden floor. 

“Azura!” Kamui jumped up, mouth half filled with porridge. “Good morning! How are you feeling?”

“I’m alright.” Azura smiled fondly.

“Kamui, please don’t chew with your mouth open.” Ryoma sighed.

“I do what I want.” Kamui grinned. “Naga said so.”

Ryoma groaned, Leo rolled his eyes, and Robin frowned. 

“Am I missing something? When did you...”

“Just no.” Ryoma said. “We’re not starting this again.”

“Naga has chosen to commune with me.” Kamui said with her straightest face.

“We’re going to ignore her now.” Ryoma declared.

“You can ignore me but you can’t ignore the truth!”

“Anyway, Takumi, how did you sleep?” Robin said, digging into her bowl with a radiant smile.

Kamui hated her family.

  
  


“So, Azura, who was it?”

Kamui was leaning over the table, staring into the other woman’s golden eyes.

“Or did they not give you a name?” Robin asked, tucking some of her hair behind behind her ear.

“No, I have a name.” She was settled on her knees, a serene smile spread over her lips. Ryoma was scribbling onto a long scroll, painting graceful characters onto the parchment. “But I’m worried you won’t like it.”

“Hm.” Ryoma frowned, resting his pen on the table and resting his chin on his knuckles. “I can’t imagine we would be happy with any possible person in our kingdom being linked to those kidnapping the royal family.”

Azura took a big breathe. “Alright, well...”

“It’s Selena.” 

Kamui knocked over her cup of water. “Oh my god, what!?”

Azura sighed. “Yes, I assumed you would not be pleased.”

Kamui was frantically waving her arms around, nearly having a panic attack.

“Who is Selena?” Robin asked.

“She’s - oh dear god, Kamui go get a towel or something - one of Camilla’s retainers. She’s a redhead, really loves shopping, and I would even go as far to say she has an almost unpleasant disposition.”

“Hey, I like Selena!” Kamui complained.

“Clean up your water, Kamui.”

Kamui went back to sulking and mopping up the puddle.

Robin suddenly gasped in pain, clutching her forehead. Kamui threw the rag across the room, and right away was by her side, a hand on her back.

“Robin!” She cried, as the other members of the room rose in panic.

“I know her...” Robin growled, clutching her forehead with pale fingers. “I know someone who matches that description.”

She gasped once again, and her eyes grew wide, the dark brown suddenly shining with a mysterious purple energy.

“Severa?” She choked out.

And she promptly collapsed.

  
  
  


Leo had waited outside of Takumi’s room, head in hands.

He had waited until it felt like time itself was a pointless notion - had waited until he was near the point of believing that Takumi had just run away, or was maybe even asleep in his room the whole time? But that would have been ridiculous - Takumi couldn’t sleep this late. He always went outside for at least an hour before retiring for bed, and now was about the time that he would begin getting tired.

(It terrified Leo that he knew this.

So, Leo had stared at the wall, counting lines and wishing on stars. He observed how the moonlight cast unearthly shaped on the floor, he listened to the hum of nightlife, like a carefully crafted melody to lull him to sleep. He felt the cool air sweep over his face, tempting him to doze off. But he knew couldn’t, because then he would miss Takumi...

“Leo?” 

Leo’s eyes snapped open, and he looked up at the Hoshidian prince. Takumi was wearing a plain set of clothes, his hair pulled back into a loose braid, with his bow in one hand.

“Hunting without armour? I would have thought you had better sense than that.” Leo remarked, smirking a bit. It was hard for him to let anything genuine slip out - not when Takumi’s hair was nearly falling out of that braid, and the moonlight shining on the few strands that were completely free, causing the locks to glow silver. His amber eyes were absorbing the light, and Leo knew that any longer staring and he would have forgotten his purpose that night.

Takumi raised an eyebrow. “You weren’t here just to make sarcastic comments, were you?”

Leo shook his head. “No, there’s something I wanted to bring up.”

Takumi sighed, and slid down so that he was sitting opposite of Leo. “Well, it’s not like I really have anything else to do.”

“Weren’t you just hunting?” Leo questioned.

Takumi shook his head, and his cheeks adopted a pink glow. “No... I just... feel better when I have my bow nearby, I guess.”

Leo smiled. “That makes sense.”

Takumi whipped his head back up. “You’re avoiding the topic again!”

“You caught me.” Leo chuckled. He interlocked his fingers.

They sat in silence as Leo gathered courage.

“Takumi, it’s been my impression that I have been.... Pushing you away.” He hugged his knees to his chest, and saw Takumi’s beautiful eyes widen. This was the most vulnerable Leo had ever been in front of him.

“Well, yeah. But I assumed it was because...” Takumi cleared his throat, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the floor. “I thought it was because you were worried about leading me on or something.”

“Why would I just be leading you on?” Leo asked, his lips tugging up at the corners. “I thought I made my feelings about you fairly clear.”

Takumi was  _ definitely  _ blushing now. “But I-I...”

His voice was quiet when he spoke again. “You ran away.”

Leo bit his lip. “Takumi, I... I was scared.” He sighed, and rubbed circles into his forehead. “Nohr is not.... Nohr is not going to be okay with us having a relationship.”

“Oh.” Takumi responded, softly. “Ok. I understand.” His voice was strained.

“But I have decided, after talking to Kamui, that I don’t care.” He stated, before Takumi could say anything else. 

Takumi stared him in the eyes, those amber irises glowing. “Wait, what?”

Leo swallowed. “Takumi... I love you.” He smiled at this beautiful boy, the one he had fallen  _ so hard  _ for.

Before Takumi could say anything, Leo stood.

“I would prefer it if you told me how you feel soon.” Leo crossed his arms in a defensive posture. “But if you don’t say you are against anything between us, then I’m going to go ahead with courting you.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss against the Hoshidian's tan cheek. "Good night, Takumi."

Takumi, face as read as fire, had watched Leo walk away with wide eyes and an open mouth.

When Leo woke, he had realized what he had done.

And he stuffed his head under his pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry that it took me so long to update!  
> The only explanation I can give is that for those of you who are unaware, I have recently discharged from a treatment center where I was being treated for depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and anorexia. I have been doing ok, but in the past week my dietician told me that I had lost two pounds, and I kinda freaked out. And the next morning my parents kinda just sprung this new meal plan on me and I flipped out and started following it. About an hour later, I started hating myself and texted all of my friends to say goodbye forever. I was self-harming in front of my parents, and they had to make me stop. Well, I scared the shit out of my friends, and my mom and dad. But I'm feeling a lot better now. I'm two days away from being at my healthy weight. I just have a lot of issues when it comes to keeping my weight stable. It always bounces down and freaks me out.  
> Anyway, in happier news, my birthday is on the 17!! So, tomorrow. I will officially be fifteen, which I'm pretty damn excited about.   
> So, as a "hey i didn't do stupid crap this weekend" present to y'all (and me bc I love posting chapters) here's a new chapter of Naga, Save Me. (Comes with a special addition of Kamui being gay+)

**Author's Note:**

> Hahaha. This takes itself way too seriously, sorry about that.  
> Just a little heads up that this is probably the most serious chapter, and it's most likely going to derail into mindless crack by the next chapter, (which is already typed up and everything, so I deserve some ice cream now.) I really do hope you enjoy my mindless attempt at fantasy, which is a genre I've been really into for a while now. Anyway, give me some feedback in order to make the next couple of chapters actually readable, and I'll clean up the next chapter and post it.


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